Everything you need to know about antibiotics in children
The use of antibiotics in children has never been good and they are strongly discouraged by pediatricians.
The use of antibiotics in children has never been good and they are totally discouraged by pediatricians themselves. However to this day, there are still some cases in which such drugs are still prescribed. The antibiotic can only be used when treating various bacterial infections. The problem is that overuse of them has made them less effective in ending such infections. So the question arises, are they necessary and effective for children?
Index
HOW ANTIBIOTICS WORK
Most illnesses are usually caused by bacteria and viruses. Antibiotics are effective against bacteria but not against viruses. Young children up to three years of age are developing and the action of antibiotics can be really harmful to such development. That is why pediatricians are truly reluctant when it comes to treating various diseases through the use of antibiotics. It is best to start a treatment free of antibiotics and go to them only if it is absolutely necessary, such as in the case of a fever that is too high, pneumonia processes or severe otitis.
WHEN TO PRESCRIBE ANTIBIOTICS
Infections originated and caused by viruses such as sore throats, coughs or colds cannot be treated with antibiotics since they are totally ineffective when it comes to killing these viruses. However, in the case of conditions such as whooping cough, pneumonia or pharyngitis, antibiotics can be totally effective because they are caused by bacteria. In such cases it is totally understandable that the pediatrician ends up prescribing certain antibiotics.
SIDE EFFECTS OF ANTIBIOTICS
As with any type of medicine, antibiotics tend to have certain side effects that must be taken into account:
- Regular and frequent use of antibiotics can cause the bacteria causing the infection to become immune . Given this, the only thing left to do is to increase the dose, although this causes the child’s defenses to weaken more than necessary.
- In addition to this, antibiotics can cause the child to have stomach problems such as diarrhea or allergic reactions that cause spots or rashes on the skin. Given this, it is advisable to go to the doctor as quickly as possible.
HOW TO USE ANTIBIOTICS IN CHILDREN
If the pediatrician agrees to give your young child antibiotics, it is very important to follow the treatment to the letter and give the right doses at all times without going overboard. It must be remembered that antibiotics do not work immediately and take a while to start working. That is why parents should be as patient as possible since even if the little one does not show great improvement in the first days of treatment, the antibiotics will be acting against the infection. That is why the treatment usually lasts at least two weeks for the infection to disappear completely.
Once the child has fully recovered, the leftover antibiotics must be discarded as they are not effective against a future illness of the child. If later your child is sick again due to a viral process , you should take him to the doctor to weigh whether or not if he really needs the use of antibiotics.
As you have seen, there is a great controversy when it comes to prescribing antibiotics to the smallest of the house. It is always much better to opt for other, much less harmful means before going to the intake of these antibiotics.
Dr. Tabriella Perivolaris, Sara's mother and fan of fashion, beauty, motherhood, among others, about the female universe. Since 2018 she has been working as a copywriter, always bringing to her articles a little of her experience and experience as a mother and woman.