Informing children and parents about research

[...]there are a number of barriers to obtaining informed consent. [...]there is a clear need to develop better methods of imparting information at the time of recruitment into studies and a need to explore methods of increasing both the knowledge and understanding of medical research in all consumers of health care services, so they will be better prepared to make an informed choice should the opportunity to participate in research arise. [...]it needs to be acknowledged that the imperative to seek an informed consent may result in much less research in vulnerable groups.