Don't Overdo It
Think your child needs an antibiotic? Think again.
Giving kids antibiotics for colds or to prevent sinus and bronchial infections not only won't work, but it can have a scary side effect: over time, it can help breed bacteria that are tough to kill. Keep your child from catching or spreading difficult-to-treat illnesses by limiting antibiotic use to treating diagnosed bacterial infections.
No matter how lousy a cold makes your child feel, or how often he blows gunk from his nose or coughs up phlegm, it's unlikely that an antibiotic will help. Viruses cause the common cold, and antibiotics are only effective at battling bacteria. Unless it lasts longer than 10 days, that thick, discolored discharge is a normal part of a cold and is not a reason to use antibiotics.
Antibiotics are an important advancement in modern medicine and can be a vital part of the healing process. However, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that overuse of antibiotics is on the rise. Almost 40% of kids who see a doctor due to illness leave with a prescription for antibiotics. Overuse can lead to the development of antibiotic-resistant organisms, resulting in kids getting sick with longer, more difficult-to-cure infections. However, if antibiotics are prescribed, it's important to take the full course. Stopping treatment when you think symptoms are improved but before the full dose is completed also contributes to organism resistance.
The next time your child comes down with a cold, the flu, or other upper respiratory illness, work with his healthcare provider and understand all of your options before deciding on a course of treatment.
