Exploiting Children for Medical Research - for their own good

(PHOTO: Jyn Meyer)

I saw this press release from Imperial College London about a new pediatric research clinic opening up in London (at Imperial and St. Mary’s Colleges). Which sounds a little boring. But let me assure you, it’s not.

Why you ask? Because kids suffer when treatments and medications are not tested directly on them. Children are not just scaled-down grown ups. Some examples:

1. Antidepressants: they make adults happier and want to kill themselves less. They make under 18s (and maybe even under 25s) want to kill themselves MORE.
2. Aspirin. The basic, the wonderful, the good and great heart disease, cancer and fever fighter, can kill under 16s via Reye’s Syndrome.

So poke, dope, inject, measure and test away. Kids of the future will be grateful.