Last resort There's a time and place for just about everything. And that includes antibiotics. When it comes to bacterial infections, sometimes they truly are the best course of action, and I don't know anyone -- Dr. Wright included -- who would argue that fact. But the key word here is "sometimes." And unfortunately, antibiotic use occurs a lot more frequently than that. The problem is that all too many doctors think of antibiotics as harmless and prescribe them for things they know these medications can't cure simply to place a patient's mind at east that they're receiving some sort of treatment. This is especially true in pediatric settings when new parents rush their infants in at the first sign of a runny nose, desperate to protect their child. But what they're really doing when they fill that prescription for amoxicillin is putting their baby at risk for something much more serious than a case of the sniffles. Researchers from McGill University and the University of Manitoba in Canada have found that giving antibiotics to infants increases the risk that the child will develop asthma by age 7. In fact, according to the study results, children who were given antibiotics as babies were twice as likely to have asthma as those who received no antibiotics prior to their first birthday. Like I said, there are times when antibiotics are necessary. But there are just as many times when they're not. If your pediatrician prescribes them to your child (especially if your child is still an infant) ask if there are other approaches you can try first. And make it clear that you prefer to make antibiotics the last resort. Source:
"Giving antibiotics to babies boosts asthma risk," Reuters Health news, 6/12/07 | 
