The aim of this literature review is to explore and to compare information derived from prospective studies of adverse drug reactions (ADR) incidence in pediatrics. A systematic literature research was performed looking for studies involving outpatient and inpatient children as well hospitalizations due to ADR. The studies were identified in MEDLINE, IPA and LILACS databases from January 1966 to November 2003. Investigation focused on specific treatments or morbidities was not included in the review. Twenty prospective cohort studies were included in the analysis. In outpatient investigations ADR incidence varied from 0.75% to 11.1% between the studies; 0.6% to 4.3% of hospital admissions were related to ADR with ADR frequency during hospitalization varying from 4.4% to 18.1% of the children. The lack of definition standards and of methodological criteria hindered results comparison and could partly explain the different observations.
Pharmaceutical preparations; Prospectives studies; Product surveillance; postmarketing Pharmacoepidemiology; Child
