Why should medications designed for adults not be given to infants?

Medications designed for adults should not be administered to infants primarily due to the risk of overdose. Infants have significantly different physiological characteristics compared to adults, including differences in body weight, metabolism, and the ability to process drugs. An adult dosage can be far too high for a small infant, leading to toxic levels in their system.

The therapeutic index — which is the range between the effective dose and the toxic dose — can be much narrower for infants, making precise dosage critical. Consequently, administering adult medications can inadvertently lead to serious health risks, including severe side effects or even life-threatening situations.

While the taste of a medication, its complexity, or packaging might be relevant considerations, they do not pose the same level of immediate danger to health and safety that overdose does, making them less critical in comparison.