Register for email alerts and news feeds:
This journal | BMJ Group
rss
Archives of Disease in Childhood - Fetal and Neonatal Edition 2006;91:F305-F307; doi:10.1136/adc.2005.076802
Copyright © 2006 BMJ Publishing Group Ltd & Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health.

REVIEW

The future of neonatal therapeutic trials

T Stephenson, H Budge

Centre for Reproduction and Early Life, Academic Division of Child Health, School of Human Development, University of Nottingham, University Hospital, Nottingham, UK

Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
Professor Stephenson
Centre for Reproduction and Early Life, Academic Division of Child Health, School of Human Development, University of Nottingham, E Floor, East Block, University Hospital, Nottingham NG7 2UH, UK; Terence.Stephenson{at}nottingham.ac.uk

ABSTRACT

Neonatology has undoubtedly benefited from clinical trials. Nevertheless, more treatments based on inadequate experimental evidence are given than those that are supported by a validated evidence base. Clinicians seeking the basis for their current and future clinical practice are faced with challenges in the shadow of recent UK legislation and government recommendations. All patients must be protected from inappropriate research, but the benefits of regulations must be appropriately balanced with those of properly conducted clinical trials. It is ethically difficult both to persist with treatments of unproven benefit and unknown harm and to deny infants potentially valuable therapies. It is important that trials are conducted within the new legislative framework, but their future may rest with innovative solutions and the determination of all involved in the process.

Keywords: therapeutic trials


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Complore Complore   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to Technorati Technorati    What's this?

This Article

Services
Citing Articles
Google Scholar
PubMed
Bookmark with

Register for free content

The full back archive is now available for all BMJ Journals. Institutional subscribers may access the entire archive as part of their subscription. Personal subscribers will also have access to all content when logged in. Non-subscribers who register have free access to all articles published before 2006 right back to volume 1 issue 1. Register here to access the free archive of all BMJ Journals.

Don't forget to sign up for content alerts so you keep up to date with all the articles as they are published.

Latest from ADC

 

ADC is co-owned by the RCPCH and is the official journal of the European Academy of Paediatrics

BMJ Careers - Latest Paediatrics and Paediatric Surgery Jobs

Paediatrics and Paediatric Surgery Jobs