How many times have your kids had antibiotics?

[Anonymous]

My 15 year old, I think never. The kid never gets sick.

My 18 year old had lung infections so frequently as an infant that he was on them pretty constantly, and then several times a year after that for sinus infections and ear infections. It wasn't until a few years ago, with allergy shots and other interventions that we got better control. His gut health seems fine, but we knew that was a risk. There just weren't other options.

[Anonymous]

My 4th grader has multiple times for ear infections (eventually got tubes), then several rounds of strep in early elementary and then a couple times for walking pneumonia.

My 1st grader has only had them once or twice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

So what are doctors giving antibiotics for if not for bacterial infections?

They're giving them for viral colds that go on for longer than 4 days and people banging down their doors demanding them for their "sinus infections".

Doctors can tell when a viral illness becomes bacterial. The discharge becomes thicker, greenish, a temperature gets higher, the pain gets worse. That’s what they do all day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My 4th grader has multiple times for ear infections (eventually got tubes), then several rounds of strep in early elementary and then a couple times for walking pneumonia.

My 1st grader has only had them once or twice.

Same with ours, oldest was on them a lot, youngest hardly ever. Both are young adults and are fine

[Anonymous]

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

No OP is an antivax troll. Ignore do not feed the idiots.

[Anonymous]

Not once. EBF for the win. Kid now in middle school has never had an ear infection.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

So what are doctors giving antibiotics for if not for bacterial infections?

A doctor gave antibiotics to my step kid for mosquito bites. It didn’t help. I thought that was weird

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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?

She’s talking about the 7 kids in what looked like 5 years

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Not true. Doctors offer them for most ear infections still. The research does not support it but it is done anyway.

Most ear infections are bacterial. Less than 10% are mild viral with no other symptoms. They might start at viral, congestion in the ear from a viral cold. It’s at risk to become bacterial infection. High fevers come with viral illnesses and bacterial illnesses. Bacterial ear infections are usually more painful. I’m not going to take a risk that my child’s is the viral one.

This is incorrect.

You have to state what part is incorrect or your statement is worthless.

Literally all of it was incorrect except the sentence that says ear infections cause fevers.

[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.

Disagree. The kids that are brought to the doctor frequently (first day of fever, or 1-2 days into illness), get way more antibiotics than the kids whose parents keep them home to recover. Most kids infections and virus need nothing at all and will clear just fine on their own in under a week.

[Anonymous]

Once for my 14 year old for pneumonia when he was 6, once for my 17 year old for impetigo when he was 4. I never ask for antibiotics for likely viral respiratory infections or “sinusitis”, which is how a lot of kids are erroneously placed on antibiotics. I’m a retired id doc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Once for my 14 year old for pneumonia when he was 6, once for my 17 year old for impetigo when he was 4. I never ask for antibiotics for likely viral respiratory infections or “sinusitis”, which is how a lot of kids are erroneously placed on antibiotics. I’m a retired id doc.

Adding that I always took my kids in to check for strep - never sit on a sore throat if there’s any suspicion for strep! They never got it though.

[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?

It’s funny that you say “only” as if a few times per kid is not a lot. My kids are older and haven’t had any. Kids get over things without antibiotics.

[Anonymous]

Seems like dozens. My oldest gets strep a lot, my youngest has had a few surgeries, plus both have had ear infections.

I don’t stress over it too much, or really any health stuff.

Reality is, most of our kids are going to grow up and do all the unhealthy stuff we did as young adults. Eating junk, drinking, smoking, etc. and basically undo all of the crazy micromanaging we did of their health as kids.

IMO the stress of trying to give kids “perfect” health is far unhealthier than any bad side effects from an imperfect lifestyle.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not once. EBF for the win. Kid now in middle school has never had an ear infection.

huh? I've EBF both my kids but see zero correlation. i posted above that my kid had 4 rounds of antibiotics in 5 months