More Research Needed to Evaluate Antiviral Drugs for InfantsOseltamivir has been recommended for treatment and prevention of influenza in children who are 1 to 12 years of age, as well as in adults. With the emergence of pandemic 2009 influenza A H1N1, oseltamivir was approved in Europe for use in infants under age one. In the United States, oseltamivir has been authorized for use in infants on an emergency basis.

Especially since the emergence of H1N1, doctors and parents need to know whether oseltamivir is safe and effective for infants with influenza. This is especially important since influenza vaccination is not recommended for infants less than six months old ”who are at higher risk of hospitalization and death if they do develop influenza. Experience in the first year of the H1N1 influenza pandemic suggests that prompt treatment with antiviral medications like oseltamivir improves the chances of good outcomes.

This experience at a major German hospital suggests that oseltamivir is also safe and effective in infants with influenza. Compared to studies in older children, "Oseltamivir has an acceptable tolerability profile and seems efficacious for the treatment of influenza in infants less than 1 year old," Drs. Siedler and Skopnik conclude. However, they emphasize that formal studies of oseltamivir for infants with influenza, including H1N1, are still needed.

SOURCE The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal