title: Anti-infective use in children and pregnancy: current deficiencies and future challenges.
abstract: There are a number of challenges to using anti-infective agents in children and pregnant women. There is limited understanding of the altered pharmacokinetics of anti-infectives in these populations and as a result, optimized dosing regimens are yet to be established. The potential adverse effects of the drug on pregnancy outcome and the developing foetus is a major consideration, and the long term implications of drug side effects must be taken into account when drug exposure occurs early in life. These factors hinder research and licensing of new anti-infective drugs in these populations. We describe the current deficiencies and future challenges of anti-infective use in children and pregnant women, providing specific examples.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Medicine, The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria; Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Melbourne, Victoria.
authors.forename: Amanda
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gwee
authors.forename: Noel
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Cranswick
mesh_terms: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D015195:Drug Design; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents
keywords: antibacterial; antifungal; antimicrobial; child; infant; pharmacokinetics