Giving antibiotics to children can do more harm than good

Researchers have shown that administering more than two doses of antibiotics to children a year increases resistance to treatments for respiratory infections by 30%.

According to the World Health Organisation, antibiotic resistance has become “one of the biggest threats to global health, food security, and development today”.

And a new study conducted by researchers from Oxford, Southampton, and Cardiff universities published in the British Journal of General Practice examined data for more than 250 000 preschool children in the UK (aged 1-5 years).

The team of researchers analysed the rate of antibiotic treatments prescribed to children to treat acute respiratory tract infections (RTIs) involving coughs, sore throats, or earaches.

Picture: iStock

Their results showed that, of the 114 329 children who received antibiotic treatment for acute respiratory infections, those who were prescribed more than two courses of antibiotics in the previous year demonstrated greater resistance to treatment and were more frequently admitted to hospital.

“When children receive more antibiotics their likelihood of reconsulting a health professional is affected and increases clinical workload, even though the majority of RTIs in children are viral, self-limiting, and would not be expected to have benefited from antibiotic treatment,” noted lead author Oliver van Hecke from the University of Oxford.

This new research aims to promote awareness of the fact that children can recover from a cold or earache without receiving a course of antibiotics

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