Efficacy and safety of fexofenadine in children with allergic rhinitis

Abstract

Allergic rhinitis is the most common undiagnosed chronic condition in children and negatively affects sleep, school performance and leisure activities. Intranasal corticosteroids and oral antihistamines are first-line treatments. The first generation of oral antihistamines is often used in children due to the cheaper costs, despite the high frequency of adverse events, like overall cognitive and psychomotor effects, which could increase the allergic rhinitis burden. A recent review by Meltzer et al. highlighted that second-generation antihistamines are effective and well tolerated in children with allergic rhinitis and are rated superior to first-generation antihistamines.