How many times have your kids had antibiotics?

[Anonymous]

My 7 year old has been on antibiotics once, when he had an ear infection when he was 2.

I think they're important when necessary but it is important to realize most illnesses are viral and antibiotics won't do anything.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yeah, I think overprescribing is generally a thing of the past - our childhoods, moreso than our kids'. If my kid is getting prescribed an antibiotic, it's really only for something that needs an antibiotic (like strep) to avoid progressing to something worse.

That's my experience -- none of our pediatricians are pushing antibiotics. The one time our child needed it it was lifesaving (pneumonia).

[Anonymous]

7 kids, 5, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18. Lots of times, probably over 50.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:7 kids, 5, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18. Lots of times, probably over 50.

crazy!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I realized that as a parent (oldest is turning 12) of three kids I have only administered antibiotics 2 or 3 times per kid. Reading an interesting article about how antibiotics in kids screw up their gut biome and lead to problems later in life.

Have your kids been on antibiotics a lot?

LOL congratulations on being better than everyone else. My DS had chronic strep for 2 years - he was on antibiotics probably 15 times.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes you get a great parenting award and the rest of us have screwed up our kids.

Yeah so OP didn't even make any indication that was her thought process. What a gross overreaction on your end. I too find it interesting how different antibiotics are now being looked at. As a kid (I'm 40) I was on antibiotics a lot because they seemed to throw them at any illness without a care if it was viral. It felt more a "let's just have you take them to see if it helps". And now they've done a lot of research that shows antibiotics aren't all that wonderful for many reasons. DS is 13 and has been on them twice. I'd probably been on them 20 times by his age.

Yes she does - she talks about how it screws up your gut biome. Definitely an underlying smugness.

[Anonymous]

The introduction of the Prevnar pneumococcal vaccines greatly reduced the number of bacterial infections in children since the 1990s. Even with three kids, we only needed antibiotics for any one of them every two or three years. None of them needed antibiotics since they were in middle school.

[Anonymous]

Maybe once each? They are 16, 14, 9

[Anonymous]

I think only once, and DS is 9. But I also don’t take him to the doctor as often as people seem to. Usually it’s just the annual visit unless we suspect a broken bone or he has another acute injury that needs attention.

If he is sick with a cough, he stays at home until the fever is gone. We do not bother going in to test for flu or anything. I’m sure if went in more, he would have been prescribed antibiotics more often.

[Anonymous]

I still find as an adult that doctors push antibiotics and steroids. It’s usually “try this and see if it works, but if it doesn’t, nothing lost.”

[Anonymous]

One of my kids had strep 5 times a year for 2 years. So he had antibiotics those 10 times, plus maybe twice for ear infections as a toddler. My other kid has been on them only once I think. It's not a competition though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC21 - 0
DC16 - 2

But I don't like your smugness, OP. Some humans just need antibiotics more often, and it's not their fault, not their parents' fault, not the doctors' fault.

DP here. Smugness? This is more of a conversation about how they’re prescribed. I don’t think it has much to do with parents.

As a pediatrician that sometimes spent half of my day, 10-20 years ago, convincing people that their kid didn't need antibiotics, getting "fired" by parents for refusing to prescribe them for viral respiratory stuff, getting phone call after phone call about "but her ear hurts can't you just send in a prescription for her without us coming in???", and dealing with SO many angry moms, it's hilarious to me that now when I try to prescribe an antibiotic for a condition that truly requires it, like a febrile UTI in a 6 month old, I get "well she's so little and I don't want to put that in her body". You people can never just be happy

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:7 kids, 5, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18. Lots of times, probably over 50.

crazy!!

Why crazy? Do you prefer kids die, or get mastoiditis from raging untreated ear infections, or get rheumatic fever from untreated strep?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC21 - 0
DC16 - 2

But I don't like your smugness, OP. Some humans just need antibiotics more often, and it's not their fault, not their parents' fault, not the doctors' fault.

DP here. Smugness? This is more of a conversation about how they’re prescribed. I don’t think it has much to do with parents.

As a pediatrician that sometimes spent half of my day, 10-20 years ago, convincing people that their kid didn't need antibiotics, getting "fired" by parents for refusing to prescribe them for viral respiratory stuff, getting phone call after phone call about "but her ear hurts can't you just send in a prescription for her without us coming in???", and dealing with SO many angry moms, it's hilarious to me that now when I try to prescribe an antibiotic for a condition that truly requires it, like a febrile UTI in a 6 month old, I get "well she's so little and I don't want to put that in her body". You people can never just be happy

I thought that wasn’t happening as much anymore. But, yes, I almost mentioned that in my post. I do recall people saying that their kids need a “z-pack” whatever that is and they’re going to find a doctor for it. That’s no bueno.

But there is no such thing as “you people.” We’re all different people

[Anonymous]

Antibiotics are incredible so I wouldn't skip them to avoid your uncertain idea of "gut issues" later in life. Is there data to support that? Adding a pro-biotics can help. But this "later in life" idea is not a reason to skip treating your kid's ear infection or strep throat.