Some Kids' Illnesses Can No Longer Be Treated with Antibiotics

Blame it on the farm animals.  Or the doctors who prescribe them for colds.  But antibiotics have been so overprescribed and used in this world that kids are now developing infections that can no longer be treated by these wonder drugs -- and wind them up in the hospital, or worse.

 According to newswise.com, studies have shown "Infections caused by a specific type of antibiotic-resistant bacteria are on the rise in U.S. children," and this bacteria -- that is very hard to treat -- is showing up primarily in children ages one to five.

 “Some infections in children that have typically been treated with oral antibiotics in the past may now require hospitalization, treatment with intravenous drugs, or both, as there may not be an oral treatment option available,” the Web site quotes Dr. Latania K. Logan, lead author of the study and an assistant professor of pediatrics and pediatric infectious disease specialist at Rush University Medical Center.
While the overall rate of these infections in children is still low, these bacteria can spread rapidly and have been linked to longer hospital stays, higher health care costs, and increased mortality, the study authors noted. In a 2013 report, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention called this this type of antibiotic-resistant bacteria a “serious concern” and a significant threat to public health.
“These antibiotic-resistant bacteria have traditionally been found in health care settings but are increasingly being found in the community, in people who have not had a significant history of health care exposure,” Logan said. 
Like children.  

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