Pediatric uses of opioids

Opioids are effective agents for the treatment of severe pain. Because children cannot communicate to the extent to which they are suffering, they often receive inadequate analgesia. The unjustified fears of addiction from narcotics further reduce their appropriate use in the pediatric population. We discuss the current knowledge on the clinical pharmacology and use of opioids in infants and children, as well as their importance in management of the neonate with pain. Sufficient data exist to date to guarantee safe and effective use of opioids in the pediatric age group and to allow the pediatrician to incorporate them in a variety of clinical conditions.