Antibiotics and Your Child

September 9, 2008

Antibiotics can be harmful to your toddler and should be use with care. We are so accustomed with antibiotics that we often overused it. Antibiotics is not the cure to every fever, cough or cold. It will only be useful when the sickness of your child is cause by bacteria. However, in many cases, illness such as sorethroats, coughs, colds ad gastroenteristis in toddlers might be due to virus.

Antibiotics should be use when the child is down with bacteria infections. Improper use of antibiotics can cause an increase in antibiotics-resistant bacteria.

There are some side effects that a child might experience during or after the use of antibiotics as the antibiotics does not only wipe out the bad bacteria. They wipe out the good bacteria in our body as well.

Diarrhea
Oral Thrush
Rashes
Vomiting
Imflammation of the bowels

If antibiotics is really an essential treatment for your child, you must note the followings so as to protect your child from antibiotic-resistant bacteria

Finish the whole course of medication as prescribed even if your child starts to feel better after a few days
Left over antibiotics should be thrown away and can never be reused
Antibiotics needs two to three days to take effect. Do not stop the course once you have started it.
Consult the doctor again if symptoms persist for a long time or after taking the full course.

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