Pediatric medical devices treat or diagnose diseases and conditions from birth through age 21. Some products are designed specifically for children, while others are borrowed from adult applications or produced for more general use.

Designing pediatric medical devices can be challenging: children are often smaller and more active than adults, body structures and functions change throughout childhood, and children may be long-term device users -- bringing new concerns about device longevity and long-term exposure to implanted materials.

FDA is committed to supporting the development and availability of safe and effective pediatric medical devices. Current initiatives include:

• Recruiting pediatric experts for FDA advisory panels whenever there is a reasonable likelihood that the device under discussion will be used for children.
   
• Protecting children who participate in clinical trials.
   
• Collaborating with the Institute of Medicine on the effectiveness of post-market surveillance of pediatric medical devices.
   
• Collecting data on the unmet needs for pediatric medical devices and the barriers to the development of new pediatric devices.

Updated February 23, 2006