by Altcheh J, Moscatelli G, Caruso M, Moroni S, Bisio M, Miranda MR, Monla C, Vaina M, Valdez M, Moran L, Ramirez T, Ledesma Patiño O, Riarte A, Gonzalez N, Fernandes J, Alves F, Ribeiro I, Garcia-Bournissen F. PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases 2023, 17(5): e0010850. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0010850
Summary: The recommended medication for Chagas disease is benznidazole, but there is limited information on its effectiveness in children, especially infants and neonates. The authors studied the pharmacokinetics of benznidazole in children aged from newborn to 12 years old in a trial in five paediatric centers in Argentina. They found that children had lower levels of benznidazole in their blood compared to adults receiving similar weight-adjusted doses. However, the treatment was highly effective and well-tolerated, with few side effects. All children who completed treatment cleared the parasites. These findings highlight the importance of understanding how benznidazole works in children, in order to provide the right dose and duration of treatment for successful recovery with minimal adverse drug effects.
