Parents have been told there is no need to give their children antibiotics for common winter illnesses. Doctors say kids will often get over bugs like coughs, sore throats and earache without any medicines at all.
Concerned parents will sometimes get antibiotics for their children to help them get over common illnesses such as these but health bosses have urged them to avoid doing this. It’s part of an NHS ‘super bodies’ campaign aimed at assuring parents antibiotics are not needed for common winter bugs. It comes amid concerns about antibiotic resistance because they are being overused.
Dr Paul Edmondson-Jones, chief medical officer and Deputy Chief Executive at Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent ICB, said: “Children are likely to pick up common viruses at this time of year, especially while mixing in school and nursery environments, but they are usually nothing to worry about. Their super bodies get to work, and most children with a normal immune system and up-to-date immunisations will fight off these common illnesses with a little TLC at home.
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“The evidence shows that most children actually recover from these ailments in the same amount of time with or without antibiotics, which have no effect on viruses and so don’t actually help to fight off the infection.” Amin Mitha, associate director for medicines optimisation at the ICB, added “Antibiotics are no longer routinely used to treat most infections. They are often unlikely to speed up the healing process, they can cause unwanted side effects such as diarrhoea, and your child will usually get better without taking unnecessary medication.
“Overusing antibiotics can also contribute to antibiotic resistance, which means that these medications are becoming less effective at killing off bacteria. This is a very serious threat to the health of our population, but we can all help to fight back by only using antibiotics when they are needed.
“You know your children best, so do seek medical help if you are concerned about their symptoms, or if their bodies need a bit more support because they are immunosuppressed or have other existing medical conditions.”