There is no specific information available for children.
dose recommendation of formulary compared to licensed use (on-label versus off-label)
No information is present at this moment.
Available formulations
No information is present at this moment.
Dosages
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HD-MTX rescue
Oral
1 month
up to
18 years
Dosage depends on the MTX treatment; for this reason, please refer to the detailed treatment protocols. Use: 12-15 mg/m² starting 24-42 hours after starting MTX and then every 6 hours.
Continue until the MTX levels are < 0.01-0.25 µmol/l. MTX level determination according to protocol, usually at t=48 hours after the start of the infusion. At high MTX levels of ≥ 1.0 µmol/l, increase the dosage of folinic acid: dosage = standard daily dosage x (MTX concentration at t=48 hours in µmol/l)
Intravenous
1 month
up to
18 years
Dosage depends on the MTX treatment; for this reason, please refer to the detailed treatment protocols. Use: 12-15 mg/m² starting 24-42 hours after starting MTX and then every 6 hours.
Continue until MTX concentrations are < 0.01-0.25 µmol/l MTX level determination according to protocol, usually at t=48 hours after the start of the infusion. At high MTX levels of ≥ 1.0 µmol/l, increase the dosage of folinic acid: dosage = standard daily dosage x (MTX concentration at t=48 hours in µmol/l)
Toxoplasmosis, postnatal
Oral
1 month
up to
18 years
10
- 20
mg/dose
3 times a week.
Duration of treatment:
21 days; in immunosuppression up to 1-2 weeks after the symptoms disappear.
Combined with sulfadiazine and pyrimethamine.
Epileptic encephalopathy
Oral
1 month
up to
18 years
2
- 5
mg/kg/day
in 2
doses.
The scientific evidence is limited: 3 case reports in which folinic acid was given orally. No studies have been carried out into intravenous application. The Wilhelmina Children’s Hospital formulary of 2008 states that folinic acid can also be given intravenously at the same dosage as orally.
Toxoplasmosis, congenital
Oral
Term neonate
10
- 20
mg/dose
3 times a week.
Duration of treatment:
during the first year of life
In combination with sulfadiazine and pyrimethamine.
Renal impaiment in children > 3 months
GFR ≥10 ml/min/1.73m2: Dose adjustment not required.
GFR <10 ml/min/1.73m2: A general recommendation on dose adjustment cannot be provided.
The complete list of all undesirable drug reactions can be found in the national Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC) – click here
Side effects
No information is present at this moment.
The complete list of all contra-indications can be found in the national Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC) – click here
Contra-indications
No information available on specific contra indications in children.
The complete list of all warnings and precautions can be found in the national Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC) – click here
Warnings & precautions
No information available on specific warnings and precautions in children.
Interactions
The complete list of all interactions can be found in the national Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC) – click here
Etienne MC, et al, l-folinic acid versus d,l-folinic acid in rescue of high-dose methotrexate therapy in children, J Natl Cancer Inst, 1992, Aug 5;84(15):, 1190-5
Skarby TV, et al, High leucovorin doses during high-dose methotrexate treatment may reduce the cure rate in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia, Leukemia, 2006, Nov;20(11), 1955-62
Thyss A, et al, Evidence for CSF accumulation of 5-methyltetrahydrofolate during repeated courses of methotrexate plus folinic acid rescue, Br J Cancer, 1989, Apr;59(4), 627-30
Cohen IJ, Defining the appropriate dosage of folinic acid after high-dose methotrexate for childhood acute lymphatic leukemia that will prevent neurotoxicity without rescuing malignant cells in the central nervous system, J Pediatr Hematol Oncol, 2004, Mar;26(3), 156-63
Borsi JD, et al, How much is too much? Folinic acid rescue dose in children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, Eur J Cancer, 1991, 27(8), 1006-9
Gallagher RC, et al, Folinic acid-responsive seizures are identical to pyridoxine-dependent epilepsy, Ann Neurol., 2009, May;65(5), 550-6