PEDIATRICS Vol. 59 No. 3 March 1977, pp. 477
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Was This Experiment Necessary?

Edward B. Shaw M.D.1

1 Professor Emeritus, Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, California 94143

The article on pharmacokinetics of acetaminophen in the human neonate Levy et al.1 in the June 1975 issue prompts some questions and a carping comment.

Why would one give acetaminophen to a neonate when significant need for an antipyretic is almost nonexistent at this age, even in the presence of infection?

The infants reported were given a dose of this medication for experimentation only and with no thought of benefit. The dose was small, amounting to 36 mg for an infant weighing 3 kg or more, but neither the therapeutic dose nor the toxic dose is known for this age.