, ▁separ ating ▁ne on ates ▁and ▁inf ants ▁from ▁young ▁children . ▁ ▁El im ination ▁ ▁D rug ▁elim ination ▁is ▁primarily ▁facil itated ▁via ▁the ▁li ver ▁and ▁kid ne ys . ▁In ▁inf ants ▁and ▁young ▁children , ▁the ▁larger ▁relative ▁size ▁of ▁their ▁kid ne ys ▁leads ▁to ▁increased ▁ren al ▁clear ance ▁of ▁medic ations ▁that ▁are ▁elimin ated ▁through ▁ur ine . ▁In ▁pre term ▁ne on ates ▁and ▁inf ants , ▁their ▁kid ne ys ▁are ▁slower ▁to ▁m ature ▁and ▁thus ▁are ▁unable ▁to ▁clear ▁as ▁much ▁drug ▁as ▁fully ▁developed ▁kid ne ys . ▁This ▁can ▁cause ▁unw anted ▁drug ▁build - up , ▁which ▁is ▁why ▁it ▁is ▁important ▁to ▁consider ▁lower ▁dos es ▁and ▁greater ▁dos ing ▁intervals ▁for ▁this ▁population . ▁D ise ases ▁that ▁neg atively ▁affect ▁kid ney ▁function ▁can ▁also ▁have ▁the ▁same ▁effect ▁and ▁thus ▁war rant ▁similar ▁consider ations . ▁ ▁Ped iat ric ▁aut onomy ▁in ▁health care ▁ ▁A ▁major ▁difference ▁between ▁the ▁practice ▁of ▁ped iat ric ▁and ▁adult ▁medicine ▁is ▁that ▁children , ▁in ▁most ▁juris dict ions ▁and ▁with ▁certain ▁exceptions , ▁cannot ▁make ▁dec isions ▁for ▁themselves . ▁The ▁issues ▁of ▁guard ians hip , ▁priv acy , ▁legal ▁responsibility ▁and ▁informed ▁consent ▁must ▁always ▁be ▁considered ▁in ▁every ▁ped iat ric ▁procedure . ▁Ped iat r icians ▁often ▁have ▁to ▁treat ▁the ▁parents ▁and ▁sometimes , ▁the ▁family , ▁rather ▁than ▁just ▁the ▁child . ▁Ad oles c