3 day old baby on antibiotics - am I doing the right thing?

[DeeBeee]

Our baby was born 3 days ago. At birth he had white spots/pustules on his face and head which look like baby acne but the paed says is a bacterial infection. They have not got better over the 3 days. The paedeatrician insists on putting him on a 5 day course of antibiotics as he says otherwise the infection might spread further and become internal. At the moment it purely affects his skin. I am going out of my mind trying to decide, putting him on a 5 day course at the age of 3 days seems terrible, I am so worried it will destroy his gut. Does anyone else have a similar experience, what did you do?

i think it's difficult to say tbh

i'm guessing this is more than just the regular white milk spots that most babies get?

has he been swabbed or anything to see what it is? if it's definitely a bacterial infection then i would prob give the AB's

I agree with TIY. Try not to worry, lots and lots of babies have antibiotics in the early days.

My DC3 had 4 days of anti-b's after he was born. He is now nearly 5 and is the brightest, incredible, switched on little dot ever :)

my ds1 had antibiotics from birth, it was preventative as they picked up pelvic renal dilation at my 20 week (and subcequent) scans (this didn't turn out to be a problem) I'm not sure it was the right thing to do but then he did have to have them for 8 weeks and it was an antibiotic I now know I have a reaction too.... it is such a hard decision

I would be asking for a swab what ever your decision to make sure you get the right ab's or if the first set don't work, have you been given one of the 'specific' antibiotics or a broad spectrum one? is there an alternative to an oral ab? could you use a topical cream? especially if the infection is external, that makes more sense to me but I am not at all medical....

Are you abroad and can you get a second opinion? Just thinking it sounds like normal milia, but I guess not?
Ds1 had ab's - he got thrush a few weeks later so be on guard for that (and for thrush in breasts if you are bf). Just so you know!

I would do what other posters have suggested - get a swab first. When DS2 was 7 weeks he developed scabby skin, doc gave him antibiotics, then did swab. So tells me 'oh it's impetigo, those ABs are ineffective against it' and gives him a different one. Tells me to take him back following week. Can't get into see him, get another doc who gives him another dose, then a week later ANOTHER doc gives him another dose. Still didn't clear up, saw the fourth different doc & she tells me it's now eczema & ABs won't work. So 4 bloody lots of ABs when only 1 needed. Find out what the condition is & google it for treatments x

Thanks all, I feel a bit better about it now. Apparently a topical cream would not be as effective, that is what the doctor said. I should have asked for a swab but didn't, lesson learned for the future.

don't worry :) he'll be fine.
gut-wise I seem to recall that medicines and things don't affect it in the same way foods do (to do with enzymes or something)
but even if the gut is altered (it won't be destroyed i promise you) then exclusive breastfeeding for a couple of weeks will get it right back to how it started.
I hope the AB's clear it up though :)

Dd had to had 3 days of antibiotics when she was 5 days old. She is nearly 8 and no sign of gut problems here.
To be honest, I was so worried about her health, that I was very relieved when they started her on AB.