Developmental physiology and pharmacotherapy in pediatric surgical newborns

Human development consists of a continuum of physiologic events that includes somatic growth, neurobehavioral maturation and eventual reproduction, and is often divided into infancy, childhood, adolescence and early adulthood. Across this period of time organ size and function change as does body composition, protein expression, and cellular function. Some tissues may be more sensitive to effects early in life whereas later in life function may decline. This holds true in particular when organ development has resulted in major congenital anomalies. As these developmental changes in function and form occur, their implications with respect to the clinical pharmacology of drugs and their appropriate place in pediatric therapy must be considered.

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