AIBU to ask how many times your kids had antibiotics by 10 yrs old

[Goinghometocallie]

And to be super nosy, what they were for.

3 of my children are still under 10 but none of them have had antibiotics much at all..

My eldest who is 10 has only had them twice since he was 3...for scarlet fever and tick bite fever..from age 1-3 he had them about 15-20 times..all for ear infections. As soon as he hit 3, he grew out of it...

His health has been absolutely fine and he now competes at regional level for swimming and waterpolo so no lasting ear damage!

@Goinghometocallie

Thanks for replies. For those of you Whose children have had multiple rounds, do you feel the anti biotics have have an affect in their over all health??

Well they did have the effect of treating what was once a nasty illness requiring several weeks off school in quarantine was treated in a couple of days.

Mine are only 4 and 2 but each has had antibiotics once for an ear infection.

DC1 several times, for a few different things but most often for tonsillitis. Not had them for a couple of years now.
DC2 only about twice, once for tonsillitis the other for suspected meningitis. Last time was about 5 years ago.
Both generally very healthy.

Ds1 2 for tonsillitis, ds2 6, ds3 6, ds4 0 (ds2 and 3 used to get horrendous chest and ear infections)

Mine are 4 and 6 and probably 4 times each. Pneumonia, UTIs and tonsillitis.

They were very beneficial for their health, particularly for when my baby had pneumonia and saved her life probably. For the more minor ailments, I took them to the doctor as they had very high temps and were miserable because of infections - I remember once one had tonsillitis and a UTI together, poor thing, if anyone would have refused their child antibiotics in that situation I hope social services would be called for neglect.

Generally though they're very healthy and don't get ill much.

For the overall health thing, it's a chicken and egg thing, people always say doctors give them out like sweets, but our doctors always tried inhalers and or calpol etc first. They both had weak chests and got chest infections hence they needed antibiotics, I dont think any extra bad effects came as a result of the antibiotics

My eldest has been on them daily for over 8 years, and then we swap to a nice little cocktail of them when something breaks through. So by the age of 10 she'll have had nearly 4000 doses. Without them she'd have been dead before age one, so yes I'm very happy she's had them!

My youngest has had problably 10 rounds when in nicu and another 8-10 rounds since coming home. Would also not be here without them although that's simply due to prematurity. I'm very glad antibiotics exist.

Dd13 never
Dd11 absolutely loads. She had constantly infected adenoids as a toddler and ended having them removed. Loads of nasty strep tonsiitis since although the last year has not had any
Ds8 once.

I don't know exactly but I'd guess at 3 or 4 times each. Ear infections and tonsillitis.

DS is 3 and he’s had maybe 6 doses?

1 for scarlet fever
1 for a chest infection
4x ear infections

DD (6) - more courses than I can put a number to. For all sorts of things - ear infections, tonsillitis, unknown nasty bugs that the doctor thought were bacterial rather than the viral. She's had lots.

DS (3) - none so far.

Ds1, once.
Ds2 never.

I’m not a big believer in chucking antibiotics at infection that will burn itself out in a perfectly healthy child.

I consider antibiotics to be lifesaving (they saved my son from sepsis that was barely
identifiable) so I am not one of those parents who thinks they are bad.
Why do you care?
About once every 12-18 months for all D.C. for various things including skin infections that could have turned nasty, chest infections and sepsis

13 yr old never
11 yr old once impetigo
8 yr old never

I think I've only ever had antibiotics twice, both for a wisdom tooth that has now been pulled out.

None for my nearly 8yr old

my oldest is 7- about 30 courses i think
my youngest is 3 - none so far

Can I ask why you are asking?

dc1&2 never
dc3 twice (skin infection, pneumonia)
dc4 one (skin abcess)

DS is 6 and had them twice. Once for a secondary infection when he had chicken pox and another time for a chest infection.

DD is 4 and had them as a precaution in NICU as a baby but hasn’t had them since.

DD: 2 x UTIs plus 1 x toe infection
DS1: 1 x tonsillitis (got quinsy at age 17)
DS2: 1 x ear infection
DS3: can't remember any under 10, impetigo age 11 I seem to recall

I've lost count with DS. He had a hole in his ear drum and kept getting ear infections until he had an operation to fix it.

Couple of chest infections
Post operative x 2 (had squint corrected in each eye)
Tonsillitis
Ear infection

So about 6 or 7. He didn't have any for years after about 12, until his recent course for an infected abscess.