Sick baby: When to take antibiotics?

The article was consulted professionally by Pharmacist Nguyen Thi Linh – Share99 Da Nang International Health Hub.

Many parents give their babies antibiotics when they are sick with the desire for them to quickly cure them. This view is incorrect and can negatively affect the health of the child.

1. What are antibiotics?

Antibiotics are drugs used to treat infectious diseases caused by bacteria. Different antibiotics, the ability to destroy or inhibit bacterial growth is not the same. Therefore, the use of antibiotics needs to be prescribed by a Doctor.

For young children, because the immune system protects the body is not complete, it is susceptible to diseases caused by bacteria and viruses. In particular, diseases such as flu, runnynose, sore throat, cough, sinusitis, bronchitis … often caused by intrusive ri-viruses, parents are easily mistaken for infected children and have children who take antibiotics on their own. This not only does not have therapeutic effect, but the child may suffer side effects of the drug, increasing the risk of drug resistance.

antibiotic

Antibiotics are widely used due to their fast-working drugs

2. When does your child need antibiotics?

Parents should closely monitor the child when the child shows signs of illness, especially in case the child shows abnormal signs or signs of illness do not improve, to take the child for examination and use of antibiotics if in order. Example:

When your 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 the child antipyretics and continue to monitor, if it does not improve, you should take the child to see a doctor for appropriate diagnosis and treatment

After finding out the cause of the disease, the doctor will make a decision on whether to give the child antibiotics. In case of use, you need to give the child in accordance with the dosage of antibiotics prescribed by the doctor, avoid taking a deficiency or overdose, affecting the effectiveness of the drug as well as the health of the child

Children with pharyngitis:

Pharyngitis in young children can be caused by viruses. In this case, giving the child antibiotics will not bring efficiency, even more harm than good. However, cases of Streptococcus streptococcus pharyngitis are required to give them antibiotics.

Children with pharyngitis will appear specific signs and symptoms such as fever, swelling of the lymph nodes, tonsillitis, in the mouth the appearance of red dots. If you see any manifestations of pharyngitis, you should take him to a medical facility to be diagnosed by doctors to see if the cause of the disease is viruses or bacteria. From there, it is up to the decision whether to give the child antibiotics or not.

3. Side effects of antibiotics

When giving your child antibiotics, they may experience the following common side effects:

  • Dizziness
  • Rash
  • Nausea
  • diarrhea

Other serious side effects of taking antibiotics include:

  • Diarrhea leads to severe colon damage
  • Clostridium difficile infection (C. difficile or C. diff)
  • Dangerous allergic reactions occur

Parents who give antibiotics should be cautious of the following medications:

  • Tetracyclin: not recommended for infants and children under 8 years of age. This drug can interfere with the development of the child's bones. In addition, babies when using Tetracyclin may be strained.
  • Cloramphenicol: causes gray-green syndrome in babies, especially premature babies. This syndrome causes the child's body to become green, leading to heart failure and even death. In addition, it can cause myelitis or myeloid failure if used long-term, leading to severe anemia.
  • Streptomycin and Gentamycin: causes syndromes such as jaundice Bactrim, which causes deafness or kidney damage to babies.

How typhal fever and measles differ

Children may develop a rash when using antibiotics

4. How to avoid overuse of antibiotics for children?

The misuse of antibiotics and improper use of the dosage of antibiotics prescribed by the doctor will cause unforeseen harm to the health of the child. Antibiotic overdoses can lead to resistance, making it more difficult to get rid of pathogenic bacteria. To prevent this, parents should be aware of the following to use antibiotics that are safe for the child:

  • It is absolutely not arbitrary for the child to use antibiotics without the doctor's or her doctor's decree.
  • Give the child medication as prescribed by the doctor, including the right dose and proper and correct course of treatment. It does not convert adult doses into child doses and prescribes them to adults when similar effects are available.
  • Do not stop taking antibiotics halfway through the end of the dose to avoid greasy or insufficient doses to kill pathogenic bacteria.

To register for examination and treatment at Share99 International Health Hub, you can contact Share99 Health System nationwide, or register for an online examination HERE.

Source: Cdc.gov

SEE MORE:

  • Note the safe and reasonable use of antibiotics
  • Why should antibiotics be enough?
  • 5 principles of safe use of antibiotics
  • What diseases do not require antibiotics?
SEE MORE:

  • Antibiotics in multi-antibiotic resistance
  • What days should antibiotics stop?
  • Test for antibiotic allergy

About: John Smith

b1ffdb54307529964874ff53a5c5de33?s=90&r=gI am the author of Share99.net. I had been working in Vinmec International General Hospital for over 10 years. I dedicate my passion on every post in this site.

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