12 year old had it once --for pneumonia, and it helped him within 12 hours.

9 year old never yet.

Anonymous wrote:I don't know if I could count. My kid had strep throat 8 times in 10 months when they were 5/6 years old before the ENT would take out their tonsils and adenoids. They're now 14 and probably only been on antibiotics a handful of times since that horrible year.

Similar. Kids are 19 and 16. Lots of ear infections, strep throat, etc. from infancy through elementary. Oldest had ear tubes at 18 months then tonsillectomy/ adenoidectomy at 2.5. He then became a non- symptomatic strep throat carrier and spread it to rest of family multiple times before we got a new pediatrician who would put all of us on antibiotics at the same time when one of us had strep. Suspected PANDAS in youngest so he was on antibiotics for several months in elementary school.
For most typical antibiotics, the gut mostly recovers in 2-8 weeks. There are certain antibiotics that have a longer term impact on gut health - like clindamycin, fluoroquinolones, flucloxacillin…
Although studies show there is a difference in gut biome between those that have taken antibiotics and those that haven’t, there’s no data on what that actually means for over healthy and lifespan.

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.

My kid was bitten by a spider that turned into cellulitis for which he was hospitalized on IV antibiotics and then on oral ones for several days after that. His gut was messed up from the ab but we gave him probiotics and lots of yogurt which turned that around.

He's also been on ab for strep a few times in his life.

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.

No, doctors have known for years not to overprescribe antibiotics. I know this because my spouse is a doctor in a family of doctors. This is not a prescription problem, it's just a medical truth that some patients tend to have more infections than others, through no fault of their own. For ear infections, for ex, it may have to do with the shape of the ear canal.

So OP is judging a set of humans (doctors, parents, whoever) for something that is not under human control.

Stop it.

My oldest kid had strep a bunch of times in a row in PK4, and once strep and pneumonia simultaneously. We're not popping augmentin like it's Tic Tacs but I don't know how people are saying they've made it through their kids' entire childhoods without ever having an antibiotic.

Anonymous wrote:

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.

My experience also.

I had quite a lot of antibiotics as a child. Possibly in liquid form.

My older kid graduated from high school with only having antibiotics once. Infant pinkeye/crusty eye.

My younger kid didn't have any until high school when he developed ear infections due to allergies impacting sinus drainage. Each time he had to get refills or stronger stuff so maybe 4-5 times.

My kids went to daycare starting at 6 months.

I always got them as suppositories, which I'm glad we avoided as parents.

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?

Yes I guess they are screwed.

Anonymous wrote:We’ve managed to avoid them with all of mine so far (still a few years to go though). Doctors give them out far too frequently IMHO.

You don’t get to avoid antibiotics. If you have a bacterial infection you need an antibiotic.

Before antibiotics children died from bacterial pneumonia and bacterial strep throat and other common illnesses. Pertussis, if you’re too dumb to get vaccinated, is very contagious and can only be cured with antibiotics.

My kids are 1, 4, and 6, and I think only once to the six year old (eye infection). That's the only time I can remember but it's possible I'm forgetting one.

I will say though - some kids get a lot of ear infections and need a lot of antibiotics. That's fine, really. If that's you, cross this off your list of things to worry about.

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.

My experience also.

I had quite a lot of antibiotics as a child. Possibly in liquid form.

My older kid graduated from high school with only having antibiotics once. Infant pinkeye/crusty eye.

My younger kid didn't have any until high school when he developed ear infections due to allergies impacting sinus drainage. Each time he had to get refills or stronger stuff so maybe 4-5 times.

My kids went to daycare starting at 6 months.

My 12 year old hasn’t needed them yet but her gut is not the best.

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.

This. I remember having penicillin pretty frequently as a kid, but between two teens, I only gave them once to a toddler for pink eye. I find it kind of interesting.

You so smug

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.