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Antibiotics are dangerous for children
Last reviewed: 02.07.2025
There is a theory that giving children antibiotics may put their health at risk in the future, and experts have long been studying how such drugs affect children's health.
Antibiotics are often prescribed to treat children, and scientists have already established that such drugs have a negative impact on the state of the intestinal microflora. As a result of numerous studies, it was found that changes in bacterial flora in childhood lead to the development of many diseases in adolescence and adulthood. Due to the destruction of the microbiome in early childhood, serious problems with digestion are observed, and this, in turn, can provoke the development of allergies or obesity.
Such conclusions were made by scientists from the University of Minnesota. The specialists also noted that children who frequently took antibacterial drugs in childhood almost always suffered from allergies or obesity in the future, unlike their peers who did not undergo antibiotic therapy or took such drugs only as a last resort.
The reason for this disorder is the aggressiveness of antibiotics towards bacteria; they destroy both pathogenic and beneficial microflora, which causes digestive system disorders and the development of other diseases.
American experts recommend a more responsible approach to treating children and prescribing antibiotics only when truly necessary.
Bacteria in the intestines take an active part in the formation of immunity, and an immature child's immune system suffers after taking antibiotics, even if the intestinal microflora is restored over time, the immunity will suffer due to irreversible consequences.
In some cases, antibiotics are prescribed to children inappropriately, for example, for flu or acute respiratory viral infections. Such drugs destroy bacteria, but they are powerless against viruses that cause flu or colds.
Any disease weakens the immune system, so the body becomes vulnerable to bacterial infections. For example, if after the flu the condition worsens sharply, then most likely the cause is some infection, only in this case can antibiotic treatment be prescribed.
Experts recommend taking any medications only in extreme cases; sometimes such treatment can cause more harm than good, for example, when the body is exhausted.
Experts advise paying attention to hardening the body and leading a healthy lifestyle.
For example, every morning you need to do exercises, preferably with elements of breathing exercises. Healthy sleep (at least 8 hours a day, and for children according to sleep norms for different ages), a balanced diet, with a sufficient amount of fresh vegetables and fruits also help to strengthen the immune system.
In the winter-spring period, you can additionally take vitamin complexes, since it is at this time of year that the lack of vitamins is especially acutely felt by the body. It is also important to choose, together with a pediatrician, a complex with microelements that help in the formation of the immune system (copper, selenium, zinc).
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