<PAGE>   1

              As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission
                                August 21, 1998
                                                           Registration No. 333-
================================================================================

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM S-8

                          REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER
                           THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

                             ASCENT PEDIATRICS, INC.
               (Exact name of issuer as specified in its charter)

DELAWARE                                                              04-3047405
(State or other jurisdiction of                                 (I.R.S. Employer
 incorporation or organization)                              Identification No.)


       187 BALLARDVALE STREET, SUITE B125, WILMINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS 01887
               (Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)

                           1992 EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN
                            (Full title of the plan)

                                   ALAN R. FOX
                      PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
                             ASCENT PEDIATRICS, INC.
                       187 BALLARDVALE STREET, SUITE B125
                              WILMINGTON, MA 01887
                     (Name and address of agent for service)

                                 (508) 658-2500
          (Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)


<TABLE>
                                                  CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

====================================================================================================================================
<CAPTION>
                                                                  Proposed
            Title of                       Amount                  Maximum                    Proposed                   Amount of
        Securities to be                   to be               Offering Price            Maximum Aggregate             Registration
           Registered                    Registered               Per Share                Offering Price                   Fee
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                       <C>                    <C>                        <C>                          <C>    
Common Stock
$.00004 par value per share               500,000                $2.21875(1)                $1,109,375.00(1)               $327.26

====================================================================================================================================
</TABLE>

--------------------------
(1)  Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee
     pursuant to Rules 457(c) and 457(h) of the Securities Act of 1933, as
     amended, and based upon the average of the high and low prices of the
     Common Stock as reported on the Nasdaq National Market on August 18,
     1998.


<PAGE>   2


PART I.  INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS

         Item 1.  PLAN INFORMATION.

         The information required by Part I is included in documents sent or
given to participants in the 1992 Equity Incentive Plan of Ascent Pediatrics,
Inc. (the "Registrant") pursuant to Rule 428(b)(1) of the Securities Act of
1933, as amended (the "Securities Act").

PART II.  INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

         Item 3.  INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE.

         The Registrant is subject to the informational and reporting
requirements of Sections 13(a), 14, and 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), and in accordance therewith files
reports, proxy statements and other information with the Securities and Exchange
Commission (the "Commission"). The following documents, which are filed with the
Commission, are incorporated in this Registration Statement by reference:

         (i)      The Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended
                  December 31, 1997, as filed with the Commission on March 31,
                  1998;

         (ii)     The Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter
                  ended March 31, 1998, as filed with the Commission on May 15,
                  1998;

         (iii)    The Company's Current Report on Form 8-K dated as of June 1,
                  1998, as filed with the Commission on June 2, 1998;

         (iv)     The Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter
                  ended June 30, 1998, as filed with the Commission on August
                  14, 1998; and

         (v)      The description of the Common Stock of the Company as
                  contained in the Company's Registration Statement on Form 8-A,
                  as filed with the Commission on April 4, 1997, including any
                  amendments or reports filed for the purpose of updating such
                  description.

All documents subsequently filed by the Registrant pursuant to Sections 13(a),
13(c), 14, and 15(d) of the Exchange Act prior to the filing of a post-effective
amendment which indicates that all shares of Common Stock offered hereby have
been sold or which deregisters all shares of Common Stock then remaining unsold,
shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference herein and to be part hereof
from the date of the filing of such documents. Any statement contained in a
document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference herein shall be
deemed to be modified or superseded for the purposes of this Registration
Statement to the extent a statement contained herein or in any other
subsequently filed document which also is or is deemed to be incorporated by
reference herein modifies or supersedes such statement. Any statement so
modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded,
to constitute a part of this Registration Statement.

         Item 4.  DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES.

                  Not applicable.


         Item 5.  INTERESTS OF NAMED EXPERTS AND COUNSEL.

<PAGE>   3


                  Not applicable.

         Item 6.  INDEMNIFICATION.

         Article EIGHTH of the Registrant's Amended and Restated Certificate of
Incorporation provides that no director of the Registrant shall be personally
liable for any monetary damages for any breach of fiduciary duty as a director,
except to the extent that the Delaware General Corporation law prohibits the
elimination or limitation of liability of directors for breach of fiduciary
duty.

         Article NINTH of the Registrant's Amended and Restated Certificate of
Incorporation provides that a director or officer of the Registrant (a) shall be
indemnified by the Registrant against all expenses (including attorneys' fees),
judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement incurred in connection with any
litigation or other legal proceeding (other than an action by or in the right of
the Registrant) brought against him by virtue of his position as a director or
officer of the Registrant if he acted in good faith and in a manner he
reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, the best interests of the
Registrant, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, has no
reasonable cause to believe his conduct was unlawful and (b) shall be
indemnified by the Registrant against all expenses (including attorneys' fees)
and amounts paid in settlement incurred in connection with any action by or in
the right of the Registrant brought against him by virtue of his position as a
director or officer of the Registrant if he acted in good faith and in a manner
he reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, the best interests of the
Registrant, except that no indemnification shall be made with respect to any
matter as to which such person shall have been adjudged to be liable to the
Registrant, unless a court determines that, despite such adjudication but in
view of all of the circumstances, he is entitled to indemnification of such
expenses. Notwithstanding the foregoing, to the extent that a director or
officer has been successful, on the merits or otherwise, including, without
limitation, the dismissal of an action without prejudice, he is required to be
indemnified by the Registrant against all expenses (including attorneys' fees)
incurred in connection therewith. Expenses shall be advanced to a Director or
officer at his request, provided that he undertakes to repay the amount advanced
if it is ultimately determined that he is not entitled to indemnification for
such expenses.

         Indemnification is required to be made unless the Registrant determines
that the applicable standard of conduct required for indemnification has not
been met. In the event of a determination by the Registrant that the director or
officer did not meet the applicable standard of conduct required for
indemnification, or if the Registrant fails to make an indemnification payment
within 60 days after such payment is claimed by such person, such person is
permitted to petition the court to make an independent determination as to
whether such person is entitled to indemnification. As a condition precedent to
the right of indemnification, the director or officer must give the Registrant
notice of the action for which indemnity is sought and the Registrant has the
right to participate in such action or assume the defense thereof.

         Article NINTH of the Registrant's Amended and Restated Certificate of
Incorporation further provides that the indemnification provided therein is not
exclusive, and provides that in the event that the Delaware General Corporation
Law is amended to expand the indemnification permitted to directors or officers
the Registrant must indemnify those persons to the full extent permitted by such
law as so amended.

         Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law provides that a
corporation has the power to indemnify a director, officer, employee or agent of
the corporation and certain other persons serving at the request of the
corporation in related capacities against amounts paid and expenses incurred in
connection with an action or proceeding to which he is or is threatened to be
made a party by reason of such position, if such person shall have acted in good
faith and in a manner he reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best
interests of the corporation, and, in any criminal proceeding, if such person
had no reasonable cause to believe his conduct was unlawful; provided that, in
the case of actions brought by or in the right of the corporation no
indemnification shall be made


<PAGE>   4


with respect to any matter as to which such person shall have been adjudged to
be liable to the corporation unless and only to the extent that the adjudicating
court determines that such indemnification is proper under the circumstances.

         Item 7.  EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION CLAIMED.

                  Not applicable.

         Item 8.  EXHIBITS.

                  The Exhibit Index immediately preceding the exhibits is
incorporated herein by reference.

         Item 9.  UNDERTAKINGS.

                  1.   The Registrant hereby undertakes:

                  (a)  To file, during any period in which offers or sales are
         being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:

                  (i)  To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) 
         of the Securities Act;

                  (ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising
         after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most
         recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the
         aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth
         in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any
         increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total
         dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was
         registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated
         maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed
         with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the
         changes in volume and price represent no more than a 20% change in the
         maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the "Calculation of
         Registration Fee" table in the effective registration statement; and

                  (iii) To include any material information with respect to the
         plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration
         statement or any material change to such information in the
         registration statement;

         PROVIDED, HOWEVER that paragraphs (i) and (ii) do not apply if the
         registration statement is on Form S-3 or Form S-8, and the information
         required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those
         paragraphs is contained in periodic reports filed by the Registrant
         pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are
         incorporated by reference in the registration statement.

                  (b) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under
         the Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed
         to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered
         therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be
         deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

                  (c) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective
         amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at
         the termination of the offering.

         2. The Registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining
any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the Registrant's annual
report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act (and,
where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan's


<PAGE>   5


annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act) that is
incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be deemed to be a
new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the
offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be in the initial
bona fide offering thereof.

         3. Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the
Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons
of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the
Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Commission such
indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and
is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification
against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses
incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the Registrant
in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such
director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being
registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter
has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate
jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public
policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final
adjudication of such issue.



<PAGE>   6


                                   SIGNATURES

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, the Registrant
certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the
requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration
Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized, in the Town of Wilmington, Commonwealth of Massachusetts on the
21st day of August, 1998.


                                  ASCENT PEDIATRICS, INC.



                                  By: /s/ Alan R. Fox
                                      --------------------------------------
                                      Alan R. Fox
                                      President and Chief Executive Officer


                                POWER OF ATTORNEY

         We, the undersigned officers and directors of Ascent Pediatrics, Inc.
hereby severally constitute Alan R. Fox, John G. Bernardi and David E. Redlick,
and each of them singly, our true and lawful attorneys with full power to them,
and each of them singly, to sign for us and in our names in the capacities
indicated below, the Registration Statement on Form S-8 filed herewith and any
and all subsequent amendments to said Registration Statement, and generally to
do all such things in our names and behalf in our capacities as officers and
directors to enable Ascent Pediatrics, Inc. to comply with all requirements of
the Securities and Exchange Commission, hereby ratifying and confirming our
signatures as they may be signed by said attorneys, or any of them, to said
Registration Statement and any and all amendments thereto.

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, this Registration
Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities
indicated below and on the 21st day of August, 1998.

 Signature                             Title
 ---------                             -----


 /s/ Alan R. Fox                President, Chief Executive Officer and Director
 ____________________________   (Principal Executive Officer)
 Alan R. Fox                                                                   

 /s/ John G. Bernardi           Vice President, Finance and Treasurer
 ____________________________   (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)
 John G. Bernardi                                                           

 /s/ Emmett Clemente, Ph.D.     Chairman of the Board of Directors
 ____________________________  
 Emmett Clemente, Ph.D.

                                Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors 
 ____________________________   
 Robert E. Baldini



<PAGE>   7


                                    Director 
 ________________________________   
 Raymond F. Baddour, Ph.D.

 /s/ Michael J.F. Du Cros           Director
 ________________________________   
 Michael J.F. Du Cros

                                    Director
 ________________________________   
 Andre Lamotte, Sc.D.

                                    Director
 ________________________________   
 Terrance McGuire

 /s/ Lee J. Schroeder               Director
 ________________________________   
 Lee J. Schroeder

 /s/ James Luikart                  Director
 ________________________________   
 James Luikart



<PAGE>   8


                                INDEX TO EXHIBITS



NUMBER         DESCRIPTION
------         -----------


4.1(1)         Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the
               Registrant

4.2(1)         Amended and Restated By-laws of the Registrant

4.3(1)         Specimen Stock Certificate of Common Stock of the Registrant

5.1            Opinion of Hale and Dorr LLP, counsel to the Registrant

23.1           Consent of Hale and Dorr LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1)

23.2           Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, independent accountants

24.1           Power of Attorney (included in the signature pages of this
               Registration Statement)


----------------

(1)  Previously filed with the Commission as an Exhibit to the Registrant's
     Registration Statement on Form S-1, as amended (File No. 333-23319), and
     incorporated herein by reference.
[{"type": "S-8", "sequence": "1", "description": "ASCENT PEDIATRICS, INC.", "secsgml_size_bytes": 20073}]
{"company-data": {"conformed-name": "ASCENT PEDIATRICS INC", "cik": "0001019731", "assigned-sic": "2834", "irs-number": "043047405", "state-of-incorporation": "DE", "fiscal-year-end": "1231"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "S-8", "act": "33", "file-number": "333-62065", "film-number": "98696090"}, "business-address": {"street1": "187 BALLARDVALE ST", "city": "WILMINGTON", "state": "MA", "zip": "01887", "phone": "9786582500"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "187 BALLARDVALE ST", "city": "WILMINGTON", "state": "MA", "zip": "01887"}}
1

              As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission
                                August 21, 1998
                                                           Registration No. 333-
================================================================================

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM S-8

                          REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER
                           THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

                             ASCENT PEDIATRICS, INC.
               (Exact name of issuer as specified in its charter)

DELAWARE                                                              04-3047405
(State or other jurisdiction of                                 (I.R.S. Employer
 incorporation or organization)                              Identification No.)

       187 BALLARDVALE STREET, SUITE B125, WILMINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS 01887
               (Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)

                           1992 EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN
                            (Full title of the plan)

                                   ALAN R. FOX
                      PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
                             ASCENT PEDIATRICS, INC.
                       187 BALLARDVALE STREET, SUITE B125
                              WILMINGTON, MA 01887
                     (Name and address of agent for service)

                                 (508) 658-2500
          (Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

                                                  CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

====================================================================================================================================
Proposed
            Title of                       Amount                  Maximum                    Proposed                   Amount of
        Securities to be                   to be               Offering Price            Maximum Aggregate             Registration
           Registered                    Registered               Per Share                Offering Price                   Fee
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common Stock
$.00004 par value per share               500,000                $2.21875(1)                $1,109,375.00(1)               $327.26

====================================================================================================================================
--------------------------
(1)  Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee
     pursuant to Rules 457(c) and 457(h) of the Securities Act of 1933, as
     amended, and based upon the average of the high and low prices of the
     Common Stock as reported on the Nasdaq National Market on August 18,
     1998.
2

PART I.  INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS

         Item 1.  PLAN INFORMATION.

         The information required by Part I is included in documents sent or
given to participants in the 1992 Equity Incentive Plan of Ascent Pediatrics,
Inc. (the "Registrant") pursuant to Rule 428(b)(1) of the Securities Act of
1933, as amended (the "Securities Act").

PART II.  INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

         Item 3.  INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE.

         The Registrant is subject to the informational and reporting
requirements of Sections 13(a), 14, and 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), and in accordance therewith files
reports, proxy statements and other information with the Securities and Exchange
Commission (the "Commission"). The following documents, which are filed with the
Commission, are incorporated in this Registration Statement by reference:

         (i)      The Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended
                  December 31, 1997, as filed with the Commission on March 31,
                  1998;

         (ii)     The Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter
                  ended March 31, 1998, as filed with the Commission on May 15,
                  1998;

         (iii)    The Company's Current Report on Form 8-K dated as of June 1,
                  1998, as filed with the Commission on June 2, 1998;

         (iv)     The Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter
                  ended June 30, 1998, as filed with the Commission on August
                  14, 1998; and

         (v)      The description of the Common Stock of the Company as
                  contained in the Company's Registration Statement on Form 8-A,
                  as filed with the Commission on April 4, 1997, including any
                  amendments or reports filed for the purpose of updating such
                  description.

All documents subsequently filed by the Registrant pursuant to Sections 13(a),
13(c), 14, and 15(d) of the Exchange Act prior to the filing of a post-effective
amendment which indicates that all shares of Common Stock offered hereby have
been sold or which deregisters all shares of Common Stock then remaining unsold,
shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference herein and to be part hereof
from the date of the filing of such documents. Any statement contained in a
document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference herein shall be
deemed to be modified or superseded for the purposes of this Registration
Statement to the extent a statement contained herein or in any other
subsequently filed document which also is or is deemed to be incorporated by
reference herein modifies or supersedes such statement. Any statement so
modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded,
to constitute a part of this Registration Statement.

         Item 4.  DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES.

                  Not applicable.

         Item 5.  INTERESTS OF NAMED EXPERTS AND COUNSEL.
3

                  Not applicable.

         Item 6.  INDEMNIFICATION.

         Article EIGHTH of the Registrant's Amended and Restated Certificate of
Incorporation provides that no director of the Registrant shall be personally
liable for any monetary damages for any breach of fiduciary duty as a director,
except to the extent that the Delaware General Corporation law prohibits the
elimination or limitation of liability of directors for breach of fiduciary
duty.

         Article NINTH of the Registrant's Amended and Restated Certificate of
Incorporation provides that a director or officer of the Registrant (a) shall be
indemnified by the Registrant against all expenses (including attorneys' fees),
judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement incurred in connection with any
litigation or other legal proceeding (other than an action by or in the right of
the Registrant) brought against him by virtue of his position as a director or
officer of the Registrant if he acted in good faith and in a manner he
reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, the best interests of the
Registrant, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, has no
reasonable cause to believe his conduct was unlawful and (b) shall be
indemnified by the Registrant against all expenses (including attorneys' fees)
and amounts paid in settlement incurred in connection with any action by or in
the right of the Registrant brought against him by virtue of his position as a
director or officer of the Registrant if he acted in good faith and in a manner
he reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, the best interests of the
Registrant, except that no indemnification shall be made with respect to any
matter as to which such person shall have been adjudged to be liable to the
Registrant, unless a court determines that, despite such adjudication but in
view of all of the circumstances, he is entitled to indemnification of such
expenses. Notwithstanding the foregoing, to the extent that a director or
officer has been successful, on the merits or otherwise, including, without
limitation, the dismissal of an action without prejudice, he is required to be
indemnified by the Registrant against all expenses (including attorneys' fees)
incurred in connection therewith. Expenses shall be advanced to a Director or
officer at his request, provided that he undertakes to repay the amount advanced
if it is ultimately determined that he is not entitled to indemnification for
such expenses.

         Indemnification is required to be made unless the Registrant determines
that the applicable standard of conduct required for indemnification has not
been met. In the event of a determination by the Registrant that the director or
officer did not meet the applicable standard of conduct required for
indemnification, or if the Registrant fails to make an indemnification payment
within 60 days after such payment is claimed by such person, such person is
permitted to petition the court to make an independent determination as to
whether such person is entitled to indemnification. As a condition precedent to
the right of indemnification, the director or officer must give the Registrant
notice of the action for which indemnity is sought and the Registrant has the
right to participate in such action or assume the defense thereof.

         Article NINTH of the Registrant's Amended and Restated Certificate of
Incorporation further provides that the indemnification provided therein is not
exclusive, and provides that in the event that the Delaware General Corporation
Law is amended to expand the indemnification permitted to directors or officers
the Registrant must indemnify those persons to the full extent permitted by such
law as so amended.

         Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law provides that a
corporation has the power to indemnify a director, officer, employee or agent of
the corporation and certain other persons serving at the request of the
corporation in related capacities against amounts paid and expenses incurred in
connection with an action or proceeding to which he is or is threatened to be
made a party by reason of such position, if such person shall have acted in good
faith and in a manner he reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best
interests of the corporation, and, in any criminal proceeding, if such person
had no reasonable cause to believe his conduct was unlawful; provided that, in
the case of actions brought by or in the right of the corporation no
indemnification shall be made
4

with respect to any matter as to which such person shall have been adjudged to
be liable to the corporation unless and only to the extent that the adjudicating
court determines that such indemnification is proper under the circumstances.

         Item 7.  EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION CLAIMED.

                  Not applicable.

         Item 8.  EXHIBITS.

                  The Exhibit Index immediately preceding the exhibits is
incorporated herein by reference.

         Item 9.  UNDERTAKINGS.

                  1.   The Registrant hereby undertakes:

                  (a)  To file, during any period in which offers or sales are
         being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:

                  (i)  To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) 
         of the Securities Act;

                  (ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising
         after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most
         recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the
         aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth
         in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any
         increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total
         dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was
         registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated
         maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed
         with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the
         changes in volume and price represent no more than a 20% change in the
         maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the "Calculation of
         Registration Fee" table in the effective registration statement; and

                  (iii) To include any material information with respect to the
         plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration
         statement or any material change to such information in the
         registration statement;

         PROVIDED, HOWEVER that paragraphs (i) and (ii) do not apply if the
         registration statement is on Form S-3 or Form S-8, and the information
         required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those
         paragraphs is contained in periodic reports filed by the Registrant
         pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are
         incorporated by reference in the registration statement.

                  (b) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under
         the Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed
         to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered
         therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be
         deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

                  (c) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective
         amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at
         the termination of the offering.

         2. The Registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining
any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the Registrant's annual
report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act (and,
where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan's
5

annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act) that is
incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be deemed to be a
new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the
offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be in the initial
bona fide offering thereof.

         3. Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the
Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons
of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the
Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Commission such
indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and
is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification
against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses
incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the Registrant
in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such
director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being
registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter
has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate
jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public
policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final
adjudication of such issue.
6

                                   SIGNATURES

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, the Registrant
certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the
requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration
Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized, in the Town of Wilmington, Commonwealth of Massachusetts on the
21st day of August, 1998.

                                  ASCENT PEDIATRICS, INC.

                                  By: /s/ Alan R. Fox
                                      --------------------------------------
                                      Alan R. Fox
                                      President and Chief Executive Officer

                                POWER OF ATTORNEY

         We, the undersigned officers and directors of Ascent Pediatrics, Inc.
hereby severally constitute Alan R. Fox, John G. Bernardi and David E. Redlick,
and each of them singly, our true and lawful attorneys with full power to them,
and each of them singly, to sign for us and in our names in the capacities
indicated below, the Registration Statement on Form S-8 filed herewith and any
and all subsequent amendments to said Registration Statement, and generally to
do all such things in our names and behalf in our capacities as officers and
directors to enable Ascent Pediatrics, Inc. to comply with all requirements of
the Securities and Exchange Commission, hereby ratifying and confirming our
signatures as they may be signed by said attorneys, or any of them, to said
Registration Statement and any and all amendments thereto.

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, this Registration
Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities
indicated below and on the 21st day of August, 1998.

 Signature                             Title
 ---------                             -----

 /s/ Alan R. Fox                President, Chief Executive Officer and Director
 ____________________________   (Principal Executive Officer)
 Alan R. Fox                                                                   

 /s/ John G. Bernardi           Vice President, Finance and Treasurer
 ____________________________   (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)
 John G. Bernardi                                                           

 /s/ Emmett Clemente, Ph.D.     Chairman of the Board of Directors
 ____________________________  
 Emmett Clemente, Ph.D.

                                Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors 
 ____________________________   
 Robert E. Baldini
7

                                    Director 
 ________________________________   
 Raymond F. Baddour, Ph.D.

 /s/ Michael J.F. Du Cros           Director
 ________________________________   
 Michael J.F. Du Cros

                                    Director
 ________________________________   
 Andre Lamotte, Sc.D.

                                    Director
 ________________________________   
 Terrance McGuire

 /s/ Lee J. Schroeder               Director
 ________________________________   
 Lee J. Schroeder

 /s/ James Luikart                  Director
 ________________________________   
 James Luikart
8

                                INDEX TO EXHIBITS

NUMBER         DESCRIPTION
------         -----------

4.1(1)         Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the
               Registrant

4.2(1)         Amended and Restated By-laws of the Registrant

4.3(1)         Specimen Stock Certificate of Common Stock of the Registrant

5.1            Opinion of Hale and Dorr LLP, counsel to the Registrant

23.1           Consent of Hale and Dorr LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1)

23.2           Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, independent accountants

24.1           Power of Attorney (included in the signature pages of this
               Registration Statement)

----------------

(1)  Previously filed with the Commission as an Exhibit to the Registrant's
     Registration Statement on Form S-1, as amended (File No. 333-23319), and
     incorporated herein by reference.