Are children prescribed antibiotic too often?

Antibiotics may be vital. However, they also have strong side effects, and can lead to drug resistance. Children, antibiotics are often prescribed as necessary in US.

38 percent of minors received antibiotic in 2009. From three to six year olds there were even 50 percent. This emerges from a study by scientists at the university. As this proved to be problematic especially that even with harmless infections as simple colds antibiotics were prescribed. These are here mostly to viral infections where antibiotics can not do anything. Necessary and useful, however, the drugs are only in severe bacterial infections like pneumonia.

The study also showed that especially family doctors prescribe too often unnecessary antibiotics. To prescribe 33 percent of general practitioners at a purulent tonsillitis antibiotics not, although this only in is displayed exceptional cases. The pediatricians do this 17 percent and the ENT specialists even only nine percent. Also show regional differences in prescribing behavior. So, doctors in the Northeast of the country much more often use antibiotics than in the south. The study authors suggest that it is still missing in many cases, to enlightenment or that the doctors feel set of parents under pressure, as they believe that their children get better faster with antibiotics.

Increasingly antibiotic resistance.

This antibiotic can have unpleasant side effects such as gastrointestinal complaints, rashes and allergies as result can occur. Especially the child’s immune system is sensitive to the interference with the body’s balance. Another concern is that form by the careless prescribing behavior of physicians can increase antibiotic resistance. Since bacteria can adapt through mutation of their environment as quickly, most antibiotics act after iterations no longer as in the beginning, until they can not do anything more in some cases. Especially in hospitals are antibiotic resistance to a growing problem.

Parents should of course always consult first with her sick child a pediatrician to rule out a serious illness. But then it is sensible in many cases to have recourse to the traditional home remedies: bed rest, cold compresses, tea and inhalations support the self-healing powers of the body and are free of side effects. If necessary, child-friendly painkillers can be used, and then usually has only asked patience.