Drugs and Appetite

A poor appetite can negatively impact growth and neurodevelopment. In some cases, it may be necessary to use pharmacologic agents to stimulate the child’s appetite. Unfortunately, experience using these drugs in the pediatric patient is limited at best. Most agents have side effects that limit their usefulness solely as an appetite stimulant. The purpose of this article is to review the current agents used for this indication in adults and consider the advantages and disadvantages of each when used in a pediatric patient. Other factors such as taste perversion secondary to medication use will also be briefly discussed.