Pediatric clinical trials

Abstract

The term "clinic" derives from the French word "clinique" and the Greek word "klinike," both of which mean
"hospital," and hence allude to the care of the ill at the bedside.To put anything to the test or provide evidence
is what the noun trial refers to. Therefore, strictly speaking, a clinical trial is an experiment conducted on ill
people. However, in a wide sense, it encompasses any study conducted on humans to ascertain the efficacy of
a therapy for the ill or to prevent disease. The FDA has only recently authorized a small number of medications
for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B, C, and D in adults. Even fewer are available for kids. Most medications
used to treat pediatric patients with liver illness caused by viral hepatitis have only been officially studied in
adults. Only two or three medications have undergone comprehensive testing in pediatric clinical trials with
children and adolescents aged 0 to 17. Approximately 60% of medications now used in children have not been
subjected to rigorous pediatric clinical testing. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, only a small
percentage of drug and biological products marketed in the United States have undergone extensive clinical
trials in pediatric population. This includes Ritalin, which is used to treat attention deficit disorder in children,
and albuterol nebulizers, which are used to treat asthma in children.