Child Development Phases and Medical Research
Five phases or stages of child development are normally differentiated:
(1) premature baby - prior to completion of the 37th week of pregnancy;
(2) newborn baby - phase immediately following birth, until roughly the 28th day;
(3) infant - until attainment of age 2;
(4) child - from age 3 until age 11;
(5) adolescent - from age 12 until age 17.
Each of these phases is notable for peculiarities in developmental physiology, pharmacology and toxicology, and diseases may occur that do not arise in other developmental phases.
Kaufmann, Ralph E. (1994): Scientific Issues in Biomedical Research with Children. In: Grodin, Michael A. /Glantz, Leonhard H. (eds.): Children as Research Subjects. Science, Ethics, and Law. New York: Oxford University Press, 29-45.
Seyberth, Hannsjörg W. (2005): Pharmakologische Besonderheiten im Kinder- Jugendalter. In: Brochhausen, Christoph / Seyberth, Hannsjörg W. (Hrsg.): Kinder in klinischen Studien - Grenzen medizinischer Machbarkeit? Münster: Lit (Ethik in der Praxis - Kontroversen 14), 37-50.