Children, in general, are healthier than their adult counterparts, particularly as adults reach the fifth decade of life and beyond. However, children do have multiple acute illnesses each year, and a substantial number of children, often estimated to be 20 percent or more, are burdened with chronic health disorders, some of them disabling or life threatening. Medical attention, including evidence-based prescription of drugs or biologics, is vital for their well-being. In addition, children constitute a smaller percentage of the United States population than adults, so drugs are often designed for adults and initially tested and approved for use in adult populations. Clinicians, however, often begin to use these drugs—as.
