Many parents may balk at the thought of their child participating in a clinical research study. While it’s only natural for a parent to have their child’s best interest in mind, there are a lot of misconceptions that go along with clinical trials. In fact, your child may potentially benefit from their participation in a clinical trial.

Why do we need to do research studies in children?
Most medications that we use today have only been tested in adults, but not in children. It is important for doctors to know how to best care for children as children have different needs related to proper diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions. For example, proper dosing ranges of medications need to be determined to ensure that children can be treated both safely and effectively with medications that are already approved for adults.
Are the studies safe?
Clinical studies that include pediatric and adolescent populations are looked at even more closely by the FDA, ethical committees, and study doctors to ensure that participants are safe throughout the study. This means that great care is taken and will be provided to all children and adolescents in the study.
What will my child gain?
Your child may potentially gain access to beneficial medications or treatments that are not currently available on the market. Because clinical studies are usually run and overseen by physicians, your child may receive an even greater amount of medical oversight and medical attention than would normally be provided in standard office visits. You and your child will likely learn more about your child’s condition while the research team closely monitors them. Lastly, you and your child will be helping researchers gain answers and develop new treatment breakthroughs that will help generations of patients to come.
Biobehavioral Research of Austin is currently seeking participants for several current and upcoming research studies for children, adolescents, and teens. Study participants are evaluated by medical professionals and often receive compensation for their time and travel expenses.