Neonatal Guidelines and Drug Doses

All doses,normal values and formulae are derived, where possible, from a reputable formulary, textbook or original papers. North American recommendations place a greater emphasis on gestational age while British recommendations in the British National Formulary for Children and the BMJ Neonatal Formulary suggest a simpler approach based on the greater contribution of postnatal age and the importance of avoiding under-dosing. Gestational age scoring is only accurate to + 2 weeks and despite the trend for greater volumes of distribution and longer elimination times in preterm infants, this is highly variable. The recommendations in this publication follow the simplest regimen to avoid confusion and under-dosing. Some medications are not licensed for use in neonates and the inclusion of drugs in this booklet does not imply approval by the South African Medicines Control Council. The recommendations and guidelines represent the practice of the authors at Groote Schuur, South Africa.