The United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is not popular for its pessimism, but lately it has been constantly alerting about the consequences of the excessive use of antibiotics.
Tom Frieden, Director of the Centre, warns about the “nightmare bacteria” which developed a defensive mechanism against modern antibiotics. This leads to fatal infections.
While scientists work on how to preserve the effectiveness of the antibiotics and slow potential bacteria that develop a defense against medicines, the excessive use of antibiotics causes other serious health problems all around the world.
1. Antibiotics increase the number of fatal diarrhea cases in children
Most cases of cold come due to a virus infection, so the use of antibiotics will not suppress the infection, but cause a diverse effect. Studies have shown that half of the antibiotics prescribed to children as a therapy for the airways in cases of cold are really not necessary.
The latest research showed that children who take antibiotics prescribed for their respiratory infections over time become sensitive to aggressive bacteria resistant to antibiotics, known as Clostridium difficile.
The study showed that 71% of the children who suffer from Clostridium difficile infection have received antibiotics to treat cold or airway infection, 12 weeks before they get the infection.
By giving antibiotics to your child when there is no need for such a thing, you expose it unnecessarily to health problems such as infections and reduce the resistance of the immune system.
Clostridium difficile found in the intestines can cause severe diarrhea and it is responsible for 250 000 hospitalizations and 14 000 deaths every year, including both children and adults.