General pharmacology
Practice: Adjusting drug frequency and doses for neonates
Level C. What happens if you have a neonate? Neonates are mostly water (much more so than adults) and often don’t have normal drug elimination due to immature kidneys.
RESOURCES
These videos help explain why neonates need different dosing protocols. The powerpoints referred to are in the regulatory section but I think you can follow these without viewing those first.
Neonatal Adjustments. November 2003, Veterinary Clinics of North America Food Animal Practice 19(3):551-6, v
Note: the same principles apply for liver dysfunction and in neonates of other species:
Effect of age on the pharmacokinetics of a single daily dose of gentamicin sulfate in healthy foals . Intravenous administration of gentamicin at a dose of 12 mg/kg bwt q. 36 h would be required in foals less than 2 weeks of age. In foals 2 weeks of age or older, a lower dose of 6.6 mg/kg bwt given q. 24 h was predicted to be adequate.
