Drug prescription to 4-year-old children in the county of Vestfold]

We carried out a study of four-year-old children's general health, diseases and use of medicines over a 12-month period in 1995-96. The study was based on a questionnaire administered in connection with the regular health controls. Questionnaires from 1,912 children were returned, representing 79% of children born during one year in the county. More than half the children had received medicine prescribed by a physician, corresponding to 557 preparations per 1,000 children. Some children had used several types of drugs, with a mean of 1.4 preparations per child. Antibiotics were prescribed to 63% of the children. Compared to what has been found in other studies, the use of prescribed medicine was moderate. More pharmacoepidemiological studies are needed to assess whether the use of medicine in children is at an acceptable level.