Macrolides used in paediatric patients are: erythromycin, clarithromycin, and azithromycin. The oral dose of erythromycin for children is 30 to 50 mg/kg daily divided into 4 portions. Clarithromycin usually is given twice-daily at a dose of 250 for adults with mild-to-moderate infections. In children, the recommended dose of azithromycin oral suspension for treating acute otitis media and pneumonia is 10 mg/kg on the first day (maximum 500 mg) and 5 mg (maximum 20 mg daily) on days 2 through 5. The dosing of erythromycin, clarithromycin, and azithromycin has been extensively described. The efficacy and safety of erythromycin, clarithromycin, and azithromycin have been reported. The pharmacokinetics of erythromycin estolate and ethylsuccinate have been studied in infants and the elimination half-life at the steady state is 6.56 and 2.34 hours, respectively. The pharmacokinetics of clarithromycin have been studied in infants and children, and the elimination half-life is about 4 hours. The pharmacokinetics of azithromycin have been studied in infants and children and the mean elimination half-life is 31.6 hours. The treatment of bacterial infections with erythromycin, clarithromycin, and azithromycin has been reported. Erythromycin, clarithromycin, and azithromycin poorly cross the human placenta and poorly migrate into the breast milk. The aim of this study is to review the dosing, pharmacokinetics, treatment, transfer across the human placenta, and the migration into the breast milk of erythromycin, clarithromycin, and azithromycin.

Teicoplanin is a glycopeptide and is a mixture of related glycopeptides. Teicoplanin inhibits the synthesis of the cell wall in sensitive bacteria by binding with high affinity to the D-alanyl-D-alanine terminus of cell wall precursor units. Because of its large molecular size, teicoplanin is unable to penetrate the outer membrane of gram-negative bacteria. The intravenous dosage of teicoplanin consists in a loading dose of 16 mg/kg followed by a maintenance dose of 8 mg/kg once-daily to infants aged < one month and in older infants the dosage of teicoplanin consists in a loading dose of 12 mg/kg twice-daily followed by a maintenance dose of 10 mg/kg once daily. In children, the oral dose is 100 to 200 mg twice-daily and the intravenous dosage consists in 12 mg/kg twice-daily followed by 12 mg/kg once-daily. Teicoplanin has been found efficacy and safe in infants and children. The elimination half-life of teicoplanin is 73.9 hours in infants and children and teicoplanin is cleared from the body by renal and extra-renal routes. The total body clearance of teicoplanin is 0.09 L/h in children aged < 12 months and 0.29 L/h in older children. The treatment and the prophylaxis with teicoplanin have been described in infants and children. Teicoplanin administered intravenously and/or intraventricularly treats the cerebral infections caused by staphylococci and enterococci. The aim of this study is to review the published data on teicoplanin dosing, efficacy and safety, pharmacokinetics, drug-interactions, treatment, prophylaxis, and penetrates into the cerebrospinal fluid in infants and children.