Metabolism and pharmacokinetics of morphine in neonates: A review.

Morphine is an agonist of the µ and k receptors, whose activation results in analgesia. Morphine-like agonists act through the µ opioid receptors to cause pain relief, sedation, euphoria and respiratory depression. Morphine is glucuronidated and sulfated at positions 3 and 6; the plasma concentration ratios correlate positively with birth weight, which probably reflects increased liver weight with increasing birth weight.

Clinical Pharmacology of Phenobarbital in Neonates: Effects, Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics.

Phenobarbital is an effective and safe anticonvulsant drug introduced in clinical use in 1904. Its mechanism of action is the synaptic inhibition through an action on GABAA. The loading dose of phenobarbital is 20 mg/kg intravenously and the maintenance dose is 3 to 4 mg/kg by mouth.

Clinical pharmacology of paracetamol in neonates: a review.

Paracetamol is commonly used to control mild-to-moderate pain or to reduce opioid exposure as part of multimodal analgesia, and is the only compound recommended to treat fever in neonates. Paracetamol clearance is lower in neonates than in children and adults. After metabolic conversion, paracetamol is subsequently eliminated by the renal route.

Clinical pharmacology of theophylline in preterm infants: effects, metabolism and pharmacokinetics.

Recurrent apnea is common in preterm infants with consequent episodes of loss of effective breathing and the bronchodilator theophylline prevents apnea and reduces the number of apneic attacks. This drug also reduces hypoxaemic episodes. Theophylline acts on the lungs, kidneys and brain.