Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) Dosage for 18-Month-Old Children
The recommended polyethylene glycol (PEG) dosage for an 18-month-old child is 0.78 g/kg/day for maintenance treatment of constipation. 1
Dosing Recommendations for PEG in Young Children
- For children younger than 18 months with constipation, the effective maintenance dose of PEG 3350 is 0.78 g/kg/day (range: 0.26-1.26 g/kg/day) 1
- Initial dosing may be slightly higher at approximately 0.88 g/kg/day, with subsequent adjustment based on clinical response 1
- Studies have shown that PEG relieves constipation in 97.6% of patients under 18 months of age 1
- For children between 1-2 years, similar dosing has been confirmed effective with a mean effective short-term dose of 1.1 g/kg/day and a mean long-term dose of 0.8 g/kg/day 2
Safety Profile in Young Children
- PEG 3350 has been demonstrated to be safe and effective specifically in the under 18-month population 1
- Side effects are generally mild and may include:
- No significant adverse effects have been reported in clinical studies of PEG use in this age group 1, 2
Administration Considerations
- PEG should be mixed with water or other appropriate liquids for administration 2
- Parents should be instructed to adjust the dose to yield 1-2 soft painless stools per day 2
- PEG is generally well-tolerated and palatable for young children 3
- Treatment duration varies based on clinical need, with studies showing mean duration of 6.2 months (range: 3 weeks to 21 months) 1
Comparative Efficacy
- PEG has shown higher success rates (95.3%) compared to other treatments like liquid paraffin (87.2%) in pediatric constipation 4
- PEG has fewer adverse events compared to liquid paraffin in pediatric populations 4
- Long-term management with PEG has shown sustained efficacy without loss of effect over time 5
Monitoring and Adjustments
- Dose should be titrated based on clinical response to achieve 1-2 soft stools daily 2
- Regular follow-up is recommended to assess efficacy and adjust dosing as needed 2
- If diarrhea occurs, the dose should be reduced 1, 2
PEG 3350 without electrolytes is a safe, effective, and well-tolerated option for treating constipation in children under 18 months of age, with the optimal maintenance dose being 0.78 g/kg/day.