News | Paediatrics and neonatal

Assessing pharmacy teams’ confidence on the safety of drugs in lactation

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life, followed by partial breastfeeding for up to two years and beyond​[1]​. Around 60% of newborns in the UK and Ireland are breastfed in the first hour of life; however, this figure drops to 48.1…

Evaluating ‘Pharmacy4mums2B’ — a pilot community pharmacy service for women planning a pregnancy, pregnant women and mothers with young children in North West London

Community pharmacies are often the first port of call for women planning a pregnancy, pregnant women and mothers with children up to the age of 3 years​[1–3]​. Pharmacists can provide valuable preconception advice and support relating to diet, lifestyle and genetic and pre-existing conditions,…

Fatal mistakes: why do ten-fold medication errors in children keep happening?

This feature explores the issue of ten-fold medication errors in children — currently the subject of a national investigation — and what could be done to eliminate them once and for all.…

Adherence to low-dose aspirin improves pregnancy outcomes

Researchers have found that close adherence to taking low-dose aspirin daily led to more pregnancies and live births, and fewer pregnancy losses.…

Government will ‘prioritise’ extending valproate registry to cover all antiepileptic drugs

The Department of Health and Social Care said that it will prioritise extending the valproate registry to include all women prescribed an antiepileptic drug.…

Using opioids during early pregnancy not linked to increased risk of congenital malformations, study finds

However, researchers estimated that there were 4–5 additional cases of cleft palate per 10,000 pregnancies exposed to opioids in the first trimester.…

Children and their families require more help with medicines

With data showing that the majority of errors in children and young people are in the administration of medicines, it is time that the pharmaceutical care of vulnerable children is prioritised.…

Steve Tomlin: ‘If two-year-olds can swallow a piece of Lego, they can swallow tablets’

Great Ormond Street Hospital's chief pharmacist talks about the management of paediatric patients, using 3D printing and how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected his team.…

Macrolide antibiotics during pregnancy not associated with increased risk of major birth defects, study suggests

A cohort study found no significant association between use of macrolides during pregnancy and an increased risk of birth defects.…

Valproic acid use during pregnancy associated with elevated risk of autism and ADHD, study suggests

Women who take valproic acid for epilepsy while pregnant are twice as likely to have children with autism spectrum disorder, a study has suggested.…