- Pediatric research
with animals has given children:
- Vaccines for
polio, diphtheria, mumps, measles, rubella, pertussis, and
hepatitis.
- Treatments
for asthma and other respiratory diseases.
- Prevention
and treatment of birth defects .
- Treatment for
severe burns.
- Antibiotics
and other anti-infective drugs.
- Microsurgery
to reattach severed limbs.
- Treatments
for cancer.
- Management
of epilepsy and cystic fibrosis.
- Organ transplants
and the drugs to prevent organ rejection.
- Treatment of
diabetes with insulin.
- Correction
of congenital heart defects.
- Remedies for
childhood poisonings.
- Treatment of
sick newborns and premature infants with a subsequent reduction
of neonatal mortality.
PROGRESS
IN MEDICAL RESEARCH
Why
is research with animals necessary?
Animals are essential
for biomedical research, and offer the greatest hope for finding
the causes,the best treatments, and the most effective means
of prevention for many diseases that inflict pain, disability,
and death in children. The study of new treatments in animals
remains a necessary prelude to such study in human subjects.
To expand medicine's ability to help those in need, we surely
cannot be forced to study infants and children exclusively.
If so, vital medical investigation in critical areas would
cease, and future progress in pediatric medicine would come
to a halt. Many aspects of anatomy, metabolism, physiology,
and immunity change dramatically during infancy and childhood.
Medical information gathered from adults may not be applicable
to children at various stages of development. The study of
growth and development in animals has greatly expanded our
understanding of the special situations of children.
Are
there alternatives to animal research?
In some cases,
yes. These methods can usually provide quicker results at
lower costs. They include chemical techniques, bacterial or
computer simulations, and epidemiological surveys. It should
be noted, however, that many non-animal models are based on
knowledge gained through prior animal studies. But no definitive
alternatives to the use of animals exists for the final stages
of most research. The loss of animal models would mean the
use of human subjects in the study of transplantation, new
drugs, new surgical procedures, and new therapies. Animal
research is necessary to continue our progress in promoting
and protecting the health of children.
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