Transdermal delivery and the premature neonate.

Drugs can penetrate more readily through the skin of preterm neonates compared to adults. This observation suggests that transdermal drug delivery may offer advantages compared with the traditional intravenous or oral routes of drug administration used in neonatal intensive care. The transdermal route of drug delivery is potentially a convenient, painless, and noninvasive method of drug therapy without the difficulties, discomfort, and scope for error of intravenous or oral administration. Successful transdermal therapy in the neonate has been achieved with the drugs theophylline and caffeine, with therapeutic blood drug concentrations being achieved for up to 7 days after topical application. Several other drugs in common use in neonatal intensive care therapy have good potential for transdermal delivery. However, there is a need for further development of neonatal transdermal delivery systems to provide a controlled rate of drug delivery.