Pediatric pharmacokinetics are how kids process medicines, and they are quite different from adults. Here’s why:
Body Composition: Babies have more water in their bodies. At birth, about 75-80% of a baby's weight is water, while adults are around 60%.
Metabolism: This means how the body breaks down and uses medicines. A baby’s liver isn’t fully developed yet. In the first weeks of life, it can work at only 50-70% of how it should.
Renal Function: This refers to how well the kidneys work. Newborns’ kidneys are not as effective; they filter only about 30-50% as well as adult kidneys. By age 2, their filtering ability gets much better, reaching 80-90% of adult levels.
Because of these differences, doctors must adjust how much medicine to give kids. This is important to make sure the medicines work well and are safe.
Pediatric pharmacokinetics are how kids process medicines, and they are quite different from adults. Here’s why:
Body Composition: Babies have more water in their bodies. At birth, about 75-80% of a baby's weight is water, while adults are around 60%.
Metabolism: This means how the body breaks down and uses medicines. A baby’s liver isn’t fully developed yet. In the first weeks of life, it can work at only 50-70% of how it should.
Renal Function: This refers to how well the kidneys work. Newborns’ kidneys are not as effective; they filter only about 30-50% as well as adult kidneys. By age 2, their filtering ability gets much better, reaching 80-90% of adult levels.
Because of these differences, doctors must adjust how much medicine to give kids. This is important to make sure the medicines work well and are safe.