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?

Once, an antibiotic cream for bad eczema.

And - I think DS1 needed antibiotics both times. DS2 turned out to never have needed them in the end, but on balance it was probably the right thing he did have them, because if he had been ill then waiting for test results could have been an extremely poor choice indeed.

I mean Scarlet Fever used to be a death sentence. It used to be weeks of agonising by a child's bedside and burning all of their belongings as in the Velveteen Rabbit. Could you imagine?

I am glad I had two days of a lethargic child and then three of him bouncing off the walls as not technically well enough to return to nursery, and fights over the medicine. I'd take that any day.

My 2 yr old has just had pneominia and was therefore prescribed anti biotics. We did give them to him as he was really ill. There was no way I’d have not given them.
I trust the doctors and nowadays they don’t seem to prescribe anti biotics willy nilly. My 8 mth old has ear infection but has not been prescribed anything as she’s coping well and not distressed at all. If she becomes distressed then I’ll take her back. (To the gp, not to the stalk)

Up to teen age and never had antibiotics prescribed by a GP.

Only had them in IV as inpatient. I’m guessing that’s OK by you OP.

It's got much better. As a child I must have had antibiotics at least 10 times in one year for Strep throat and flu. a couple of times I remmeber my mum pushing for them. I now have FM and had ME and always wonder if they are related.

My son has had them three times he's 2 1/2

once for an ear infection which was a few weeks ago he had it for nearly a month before I took him to the gp and he was getting worse every day.

Then for a precautionary after an operation

And then to get rid of the infection that happened due to the operation (no idea why the precautionary ab's didn't prevent it).

Doctors don't just give them out for the sake of it, especially in the last few years. The wording of your post is a bit odd. Antibiotics are a necessary and good thing.

Pneumonia- twice.

I'm glad she had them.

It isn't a moral failing to require antibiotics

"Personally I would use salt for wound care and sore throats caused by bacteria."

DD once suffered for several days with a very sore throat because I though salt water gargles and manuka honey would help. They did nothing, and DD became more and more ill. When I took her to the doctor he took one look at her throat and tongue and said that she had strep throat, and only antibiotics would help. I was told off for not bringing her to the doctor earlier.

DD has had loads of antibiotics, but she has had some serious health issues that required them. The first time was when she was only a few weeks old, after life saving surgery. She has had chest and urine infections that required hospitalisation, ear infections and infected eczema.

She also required a daily prophylactic does of antibiotics when she was small to prevent recurrent urine infections. UTIs with bladder reflux can cause permanent kidney damage when older, and this was a risk I was not prepared to take.

Our GP doe not hand out antibiotics like smarties BTW.

It isn't a moral failing to require antibiotics. Our GP doe not hand out antibiotics like smarties BTW.

Exactly. Thank goodness antibiotics were have been available for your daughter. I hope she is well now.

Once for ear infection

What was it that pushed you to that decision? Do you think your child could have gone without them?

It is the GP's decision and if a health professional decides it is the sensible thing to do, I don't see how a parent can decide that they can go without them. Why taking that risk?

Chest infections, meningitis, sepsis x2, ear infections.
None of the times they could've gone without them.
Even with them it's involved hospital stays for oxygen and a perforated ear drum.