Study suggests Plavix may help infants with heart problems

RALEIGH, N.C. A new study sponsored by Bristol-Myers Squibb and Sanofi-Aventis found that their anti-clotting drug Plavix can be helpful to children under the age of 2 with heart problems, according to the Washington Post.

The children involved 92 children who had various typed of heart problems that put them at high risk of developing life-threatening blood clots.

Most of the children had hypoplastic left heart syndrome, which involves a poorly functioning small ventricle that leaves children weak and blue in color. Other children had floppy or imperfect heart valves, and one had Kawasaki disease, which causes inflammation in coronary arteries. Many were facing multiple surgeries, and three-quarters already had shunts in their hearts to keep their blood flowing properly.

The children were divided into a treatment group and a placebo group. Those in the treatment group received one of four doses of Plavix, ranging from .01 to .20 milligrams per kilogram of body weight per day over a period of one-to-four weeks.

The study found that the optimal dose for infants and toddlers up to 24 months was 0.2 milligrams per day.