When can we give children antibiotics?
Antibiotics are a drug that seems to cure everything, but in truth, if taken when it is not due, it will bring us consequences.
Sometimes certain diseases require taking antibiotics to be cured. However, an antibiotic should not be administered to a baby or child without being prescribed by their pediatrician , as it could be highly dangerous for their health. Like all medications, antibiotics have side effects , which is why you shouldn’t give them to your little one without the recommendation of a professional.
Index
ANTIBIOTICS CAN DAMAGE THE INTESTINAL FLORA
In the intestinal flora there are all those bacteria that are good for our body, that is, we can live with them without any problem. Children have a weak intestinal flora that can be damaged by antibiotics, so we should only give it to them when necessary.
Antibiotics can be administered when there is a bacterial infection . To find out the cause, the pediatrician will ask you certain questions to determine it and, later, will explore the child to try to find out what the source of infection is to know if it is bacterial or not.
Some examples of this type of infection or disease are plaques of pus in the throat, certain noises in the chest , skin lesions, certain characteristics of diarrhea , among others. Thus, when they have obtained all the necessary data, they will proceed to indicate to your child the antibiotic treatment.
You should always listen to your pediatrician. When your child is prescribed an antibiotic, always follow the guidelines, dosages, and days of treatment. Never leave the treatment halfway even if the child is already well, as it could be dangerous in the long term.
WHEN SHOULD I GIVE MY CHILD ANTIBIOTICS?
As long as antibiotics are warranted, doctors often recommend prescribing amoxicillin for children with ear and sinus infections. In the event that the cough and nasal congestion persist for a long time or are getting worse, the antibiotics that are usually prescribed are quite severe.
As for sore throats , pediatricians prescribe antibiotics only and exclusively to those children who have swollen lymph nodes and fever, that is, symptoms of the disease called strep throat. For this, amoxicillin or penicillin will be the best option, but it should always be prescribed by the pediatrician.
IN WHAT SITUATIONS SHOULD YOU NOT GIVE YOUR CHILDREN ANTIBIOTICS?
If your child has a fever , or has had a very high fever for several days, do not give him any antibiotics as it will have no effect. The same happens with green mucus , since its appearance is confused with the fact that there is a bacterial infection and it may not be the case. The mucus can change color easily even during the same day.
Thus, giving antibiotics in any of these cases is useless if your pediatrician has not previously detected the bacterial infection. The same happens when the child has bronchitis , because in most cases the cause of this disease is a virus and, again, the antibiotic will be totally useless.
It is important to know that more than 90% of infections suffered by children are viral. In addition to those that we have already seen previously, it can also be general discomfort, vomiting, headache, earache, cough and diarrhea, among others.
In the case of pneumonia , the opposite occurs, since its cause in most cases is bacteria. In any case, if you think your child has bronchitis or pneumonia, you should take him to the pediatrician quickly so that they can determine its origin and so they can prescribe or not the corresponding antibiotic.
Remember that only a professional can determine what is the cause of a certain disease in order to prescribe an antibiotic, as they will be the only person who can do it properly. So, when in doubt … Go to your doctor!
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.