Why it is important to be conservative with antibiotics

Pediatrician Lawrence Ross, MD Infectious Disease, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, explains why parents should be conservative with giving antibiotics to their kids and the effects that not doing so can have
The Importance Of Being Conservative With Antibiotics In Children
KidsInTheHouse the Ultimate Parenting Resource
Kids in the House Tour

Why it is important to be conservative with antibiotics

Comment
123
Like
123
Transcription: 
We have had antibiotics for treatment of bacterial infections for a hundred years now. That's had a dramatic impact on our ability to treat many germs in a save countless lives. The problem that we have run into is that, by using these antibiotics when it's not necessary, we have select out or created bacteria that are no long susceptible to it. In the future, it will be difficult for these antibiotics to be able to work against that. In addition, we have learned, that when we give antibiotics, it disrupts the normal biology of our body and the normal bacteria that are living there which we want to maintain our relationship with and not disrupt. By disrupting that relationship, that may impact our health in the future. Thirdly, we also know that antibiotics are prescribed throughout the world about 80 or 90 percent of the time for viral infections for which they are not needed to be used. Viral infections do not respond to antimicrobial therapy. You should always ask your physician, when an antibiotic is being prescribed, "Is it really necessary for my child to have an antibiotic because I don't want to disrupt the normal biology of my child if it's not necessary."

Pediatrician Lawrence Ross, MD Infectious Disease, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, explains why parents should be conservative with giving antibiotics to their kids and the effects that not doing so can have

Related Videos

Transcript

Expert Bio

More from Expert

Lawrence Ross, MD

Pediatrician, Infectious Disease, Children's Hospital Los Angeles

Dr. Lawrence A. Ross is a pediatrician and expert in infectious diseases.  He has been a full-time member of the Division of Infectious Disease at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles since 1978 and has served as Hospital Infection Control Officer as well as the Chairperson of the Infection Control Committee for 20 years.  He is also a Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California.  Dr. Ross graduated from the University of Illinois and subsequently attended medical school at the Chicago Medical School in Chicago. He completed residency training in Pediatrics at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, followed by fellowships in Pediatric Infectious Diseases at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and the Los Angeles County/University of Southern California School of Medicine. From 1981-1985, Dr. Ross served as the coordinator of the intern and residency program at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. His areas of interest have included epidemiology of nosocomial infections as well as clinical aspects of care for patients with immune compromising diseases including patients with HIV infection. 

More Parenting Videos from Lawrence Ross, MD >
Enter your email to
download & subscribe
to our newsletter
  Listen or Watch
Must See First Year Videos
Three important rules about your baby's first foods
First year milestones
Postnatal depression and loneliness advice
Baby losing interest in nursing
The importance of spending quality time during early childhood
Narrating an infant's environment
Research based benefits of co-sleeping
Bonding versus attachment
Bonding with your baby after a less-than-perfect birth
Preventing postpartum depression
Play All 34 Videos
Featured Experts: Alan Greene, MD, Lawrence Kagan, MD, Barbara Olinger, MSW
More Playlists >
Transcription: 
We have had antibiotics for treatment of bacterial infections for a hundred years now. That's had a dramatic impact on our ability to treat many germs in a save countless lives. The problem that we have run into is that, by using these antibiotics when it's not necessary, we have select out or created bacteria that are no long susceptible to it. In the future, it will be difficult for these antibiotics to be able to work against that. In addition, we have learned, that when we give antibiotics, it disrupts the normal biology of our body and the normal bacteria that are living there which we want to maintain our relationship with and not disrupt. By disrupting that relationship, that may impact our health in the future. Thirdly, we also know that antibiotics are prescribed throughout the world about 80 or 90 percent of the time for viral infections for which they are not needed to be used. Viral infections do not respond to antimicrobial therapy. You should always ask your physician, when an antibiotic is being prescribed, "Is it really necessary for my child to have an antibiotic because I don't want to disrupt the normal biology of my child if it's not necessary."