Today's guest is Antonio Clavenna, an Italian physician, clinical pharmacologist, and researcher, head of the Laboratory of Developmental Epidemiology and Child Health at the Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research (IRCCS) in Milan. His research focuses on the appropriateness and safety of using drugs and vaccines in pediatrics and on the study of treatment strategies for children with chronic conditions. He also disseminates evidence-based scientific information on the use of medications during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

In this episode, we discussed how children's immune systems work and why they aren't "little adults," even when it comes to medications. Topics included vaccines, colds, the use (and abuse) of antibiotics, supplements, and cortisone nebulizers. What does the science really say?

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Topics
00:00:00 Highlights
00:00:32 Sponsor: Prep 8 Ore
00:01:51 Intro
00:03:38 Episode Start: Children's Immune System
00:12:41 Hygiene Theory and Colds
00:18:08 Vaccines: Do They Overload Children's Defenses?
00:25:33 How drugs work in newborns
00:30:38 Antibiotics: why are too many used in Italy
00:36:25 How resistance arises and DIY
00:40:49 Duration of therapy and long-term effects
00:45:21 Why aren't new antibiotics discovered
00:47:02 Nutrition, weaning, and allergies
00:52:49 How are drugs studied in pediatrics
00:59:29 Research at Mario Negri: psychotropic drugs in adolescents
01:01:02 Off-label drugs: what are they and when are they used?
01:04:18 Supplements and vitamin C: are they really necessary?
01:07:43 How a passion for pediatric pharmacology was born
01:08:54 The most commonly used drugs in children
01:11:20 Cortisone nebulizers: an Italian habit
01:12:54 Future challenges: oncology, newborns, and epilepsy

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