Sick baby: When to take antibiotics?

The article was professionally consulted by Pharmacist Nguyen Thi Linh - Vinmec Danang International General Hospital.

Many parents give their children antibiotics when they are sick with the hope that the child will recover quickly. This view is incorrect and can negatively affect the health of the child.

Antibiotics are drugs used to treat infections caused by bacteria. Different antibiotics have different ability to kill or inhibit the growth of bacteria. Therefore, the use of antibiotics must be prescribed by the doctor.
For young children, because the immune system to protect the body is not yet complete, they are prone to diseases caused by bacteria and viruses. In which, diseases such as colds, runny nose, sore throat, cough, sinusitis, bronchitis... are usually caused by viruses that cause disease, parents easily mistake children for infections and diseases. Arbitrarily having children take antibiotics. This not only has no effect on treatment, but the child can suffer from side effects of the drug, increasing the risk of drug resistance.

Parents should closely monitor the child when the child shows signs of illness, especially in the case that the child has unusual signs or signs of the disease not improving, to take the child to examine and use antibiotics if indicated. For example:
When a child has a fever
There are many causes of fever in children such as teething, viral fever, ... In case the child has a fever but plays normally, without other abnormal signs, you can give your child fever-reducing medicine and continue to monitor, if there is no improvement, you should take your child to see a doctor for proper diagnosis and treatment
After finding the cause of the illness, the doctor decision to give the child antibiotics or not. In the case of use, you need to give the child the correct dose of antibiotics prescribed by the doctor, avoiding underuse or overdose, affecting the effectiveness of the drug as well as the health of the child. pharyngitis:
Sore throats in children can be caused by viruses. In this case, giving the child antibiotics will not bring any effect, even more harm than good. However, in cases of children with strep throat caused by streptococcus bacteria, it is imperative to give them antibiotics.
Children with sore throat will have specific signs and symptoms such as fever, swollen lymph nodes, tonsillitis, red dots in the mouth. If you see your baby showing any signs of sore throat, you should take your baby to a medical facility to be diagnosed by a doctor to see if the causative factor is a virus or bacteria. From there, a decision is made whether to give the child antibiotics or not.

When giving antibiotics to a child, the following common side effects may occur:
Dizziness Rash Nausea Diarrhea Some other serious side effects of antibiotics include:
Diarrhea leading to injury serious colon injury Clostridium difficile (C. difficile or C. diff) infection Serious allergic reactions Parents need to be careful when giving their baby antibiotics with the following:
Tetracycline: Not recommended for use in infants and children under 8 years of age. This medicine can interfere with your child's bone growth. In addition, infants using Tetracycline may experience fontanelle strain. Chloramphenicol: causes blue-gray syndrome in neonates, especially premature babies. This syndrome causes a child's body to turn pale, leading to heart failure and even death. In addition, it can cause marrow toxicity or marrow failure with long-term use, leading to severe anemia. Streptomycin and Gentamycin: cause syndromes such as Bactrim jaundice, deafness or kidney damage in newborns.

The abuse of antibiotics and the incorrect use of antibiotics prescribed by the doctor will cause unpredictable harm to the health of the child. Overuse of antibiotics can lead to drug resistance, making it more difficult to eliminate disease-causing bacteria. To prevent this situation, parents should note the following to use antibiotics safely for children:
Absolutely do not arbitrarily give antibiotics to children without a doctor's prescription. Give your child medicine exactly as prescribed by the doctor, including the right dose and the right way and the right course of treatment. Never convert the adult dose to a child dose and give it according to an adult's prescription when there are similar symptoms. Do not let children stop taking antibiotics midway until the dose is not finished to avoid the case of drug resistance or insufficient dosage to kill pathogenic bacteria. To register for examination and treatment at Vinmec International General Hospital, you can contact Vinmec Health System nationwide, or register online HERE.
Reference source: Cdc.gov
SEE ALSO:
Notes on safe and rational use of antibiotics Why should antibiotics be taken in sufficient doses? 5 principles of safe antibiotic use What diseases do not need antibiotics?