Paediatrics Research groups

Strategic Objectives

The Paediatrics Group coordinates the research carried out by both the Donostialdea IHO Paediatrics Service and its paediatric outpatient facility in such a way as to obtain a structure that provides cover for the research work and projects carried out asymmetrically and individually by the units making up the Service. The idea is that other units with less research experience can also participate in these studies.

We believe that clinical care and research must not be separated from the activity of a University Hospital service, and that, to achieve a high degree of excellence, research and care activity must proceed hand-in-hand; it is impossible to provide good care without the backing of good research.

Paediatrics have special characteristics within research. Children have their own particular physiological characteristics, and don’t even form a homogenous group, given that their characteristics may vary depending on the different age groups. Thus, only 30% of the medicines commercialised in Europe include an authorisation for paediatric use, and fewer than 50% of the medicines authorised for use with children have been studied in the infant population. The proportion of drugs used despite not being recommended for children stands at some 90% in Neonatal Intensive Care Units, 70% in Paediatric Intensive Care, 50% in Digestive, 47% in Cardiology and 36% in General Paediatrics. While the use of drugs not approved for such use can have ethical and legal consequences, failing to use said drugs may mean denying the child a potentially beneficial intervention.

Even more vulnerable groups exist, such as extremely premature newborns, where practically all drugs are used outside their technical indications and where there is a great deal of ignorance as regards physiology and pharmacodynamics; the same applies to the case of children with rare diseases, where it is very often impossible to extrapolate the data of adults due to these being diseases of a purely paediatric nature and very low incidence..

Main research lines:
•    Research into rare or minority diseases in children (RD)
•    Research line in child development
•    Principally paediatric diseases

Science field

Life & Medical Sciences

Institution
Biogipuzkoa
RIS3 Priorities
  • Biosciences & Health
Main researcher
Itxaso Martí Carrera, M.D., Ph.D.
Address
Paseo Dr. Begiristain, s/n, 20014 San Sebastián, Gipuzkoa
How to arrive
Main research lines
  • Research into rare or minority diseases in children (RD)
  • Research line in child development
  • Principally paediatric diseases