Meds may be unsafe for children, doses sometimes unknown

  

May 9, 2012 (CHICAGO) (WLS) -- Children have often been called, "Therapeutic Orphans" because there is not enough information on how to give them medicine.

A research letter in the 'Journal of the American Medical Association' says that in 2009 only 46% of drugs carried instructions for children. That's a concern because children can metabolize medication differently than adults. Because many drugs are never tested on children, determining a safe and effective dose can be guesswork for doctors.

The letter is calling for laws to require more pediatric clinical trials and for listing the results on drug labels.

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