Have you given your children antibiotics and if so what for?

[Liveandletlive01]

Out of interest: have you ever given your children antibiotics? What was it that pushed you to that decision? Do you think your child could have gone without them?

I think your question is strange tbh, my GP decides if antibiotics are required and they are very good at saying no antibiotics necessary when it's just a bad virus.

My dcs have had antibiotics when they have needed them and I wouldn't have wanted them to struggle through their illnesses!

In fact my ds was on prophylactic antibiotics for 3 years, to prevent UTIs due to having kidney reflux. He also had them for scarlet fever and a double ear infection. Even if antibiotics only shorten an illness by 3 days or so that is worth it in my opinion.

Take this up with the GMC then, not a load of moderate people who aren't going to join in with your oh-so-concerned hand-wringing.

Ear infections that wouldn't clear, chest infections, tonsilitis, scarlet fever, uti, the list goes on! Oh and the secondary infection one got with chicken pox.

When appropriate, when prescribed.

Of course we would only give them to our child if we thought they needed them - i by this I mean if the GP has stated they need them. But I wonder how Often are they un nwceasarily prescribed? Saved for some of the serious I’llnesses people have listed so far. Take ear infections: how many ear infections are caused by a virus or a fungus but wrongly treated with antibiotics?

DD has had antibiotics when prescribed by the DR, i have always found the GPs avoid giving them where possible so of they do prescribe I make sure to thank them and take the ful dose as instructed.

these were the illnesses:
Chest infection - high temperature and respiration rate was high, borderline hospital level but Dr agreed to watch and wait on a hospital visit with strict instruct ions on what t o look for. She also had an inhaler prescribed.

UTI - high temperature and DD was crying every time she urinated which was about every 10 mins.

I think that GPs are over worked and do not have enough time to talk through why antibiotics may or may not be the right course of action

I don't need them to talk through it. I need them to use their professional judgement and either prescribe or not prescribe antibiotics. They are trained to do so. I am not.

Do people really manage to go through the first couple of years of raising children without really needing antibiotics? Or is just DD going through the starting nursery & picking up every bug going that means she's wound up with more?

GPs are busy but they are well aware of antibiotic prescribing guidelines and will only advise their use if absolutely necessary. Some of the condition-specific guidelines for primary care include advice on explaining to parents that for certain conditions if symptoms are not too severe (sore throat, ear infection) antibiotics may not actually be necessary, or they may issue a prescription with information about having it dispensed if there is no improvement within a particular timeframe. If you've been advised to give your child antibiotics then they very likely need them

Wow this has provoked a lot of anger

My ds was bitten by a dog while staying at my ex’s house. When he was brought home four days later, his arm was so badly infected, we spent that night in hospital on intravenous a.b.s.
Without them he could have developed sepsis or an infection in the heart..

I’m on them myself at the moment for an ear infection. But I didn’t get them straight away. 5 days of treatment with a spray first but my eardrum perforated.

Drs will only prescribe if necessary.

Oral antibiotics once for an ear infection. Definitely needed as her temperature was 40+ and not coming down with medication. She’s also had a cream for impetigo. Impetigo is bacterial and won’t go away without.

I always consider antibiotic use very carefully and I don’t know an HCP that doesn’t these days. IME it’s usually a patient pushing hard for antibiotics when not necessary rather than the other way round.

I heard a radio documentary recently: it talked about the possibility of antibiotic resistance in our lifetime and what we would do, I wish I could find it to attach here.

It's the way you've worded your question. It does come across a bit shitty.

"GPs don't know what they're doing" "have you given your child antibiotics unnecessarily"

My children have been prescribed to the eyeballs:

• neonatal pneumonia
• sepsis at 5 days old
• 2 bouts of tonsillitis
• scarlet fever

Each time the paediatrician or GP have known exactly what they were prescribing and each time it's saved my child's life or eliminated their suffering.

And no I don’t think he could have gone without.
I have never asked for antibiotics. Nor would I question my GP’s decision if he chose to prescribe then

Yes antibiotic resistance is a serious issue and they should not be given for simple coughs and colds. But the fact is that they save lives for some illnesses such as sepsis and horrible infections. Not taking them when advised by a doctor is plain stupidity

Bobbie my ds has had them but my dd hasn't ever needed them (she's 3.5 now), she's had a few bugs (colds and the like )and chicken pox but nothing needing anti biotics. Ds had had quite a lot of medication by her age.

Several, to save my sons life at 3 weeks old. He had a severe staph infection and would have died otherwise. He's also had a prophylactic course after all this on consultant advice. I wouldn't have changed anything and if he needs more then he'll have them. More education is needed for use of ABs and the difference between viral/bacterial infection.

Pneumonia x 2. Don't think dd has ever had any...

Yes, whenever they have been prescribed by a Doctor.

Call me foolish but I trust my GP, mainly because they have studied medicine for many years and I have not. Plus, antibiotics save lives daily and I’d really rather not take the chance on an infection getting worse.

pneumonia (dc was really ill with it) and an abcess.
tbh with the abcess I wondered if maybe lancing & dressing would be a better treatment for that.

Our GP is very good at not giving antibiotics so if he prescribes them they are needed. I trust his training and desire to do a good job over my sketchy medical knowledge.

Yes.

1. When she was born

2.bit by a dog 3.chest infection 4.ear infection.

So 4 times in nearly 7 years. Completely comfortable and happy with the GP decision for all of them.

What other available treatments would you suggest for a bacterial infection?

DD was on strong antibiotics for 6 months.

Ds has never needed any though came close once. GP said he hoped an infection would clear with a topical cream and it luckily did.