May 4, 2005
Child abuse (again)
I’d hoped we were long past this kind of thing:
Government-funded researchers tested AIDS drugs on hundreds of foster children over the past two decades, often without providing them a basic protection afforded in federal law and required by some states, an Associated Press review has found.
The research funded by the National Institutes of Health spanned the country. It was most widespread in the 1990s as foster care agencies sought treatments for their HIV-infected children that weren’t yet available in the marketplace.
Providing disadvantaged kids with world-class care probably saved some lives. But it also exposed them to drugs that were known to have serious side effects in adults, and which were untested for children. Since 1983 the government has required independent advocates to protect the rights of foster children enrolled in risky medical studies. However it appears that no advocates were appointed in many of these trials. The result:
Several studies that enlisted foster children reported patients suffered side effects such as rashes, vomiting and sharp drops in infection-fighting blood cells as they tested antiretroviral drugs to suppress AIDS or other medicines to treat secondary infections.
In one study, researchers reported a ‘‘disturbing’’ higher death rate among children who took higher doses of a drug. That study was unable to determine a safe and effective dosage.
Still, at least one of the hospitals involved is confident it did the right thing:
“Our position is that advocates weren’t needed,” said Marilyn Castaldi, spokeswoman for Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center in New York.
Amazing.
Posted by Stephen at 10:49 PM in Humanity | Permalink | TrackBack (0)
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