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Do not give antibiotics to children
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
Scientific experts from Canadian, Belgian and Israeli universities described the most frequent long-term effects that can occur in people taking antibiotics in childhood. Information about this was published by the staff of the Canadian University of McMaster in the periodical Nature Communication.
Reception of antibiotics in childhood with the passage of time can adversely affect the state of the microflora of the intestinal cavity, as well as the quality of neurochemical processes in some parts of the brain responsible for the functionality of the immune defense. Long-term antibiotic therapy, as well as taking a wide range of antibacterial activity in many people, can cause deterioration in social adaptation and weakness of the nervous system, which is manifested by increased anxiety and irritability.
Such information was obtained by scientists on the basis of studies conducted on rodents.
Antibiotics - in particular, penicillin, - scientists gave several categories of rodents. These were pregnant female mice, newborn mice, as well as rodents aged 3-6 weeks. At the end of the experiment, the specialists traced the dynamics of subsequent changes that occurred with experimental animals for several years. A comparative analysis of these changes was made, taking into account the indices of mice that were not exposed to antibiotic therapy.
The authors of the study expressed confidence that the information they obtained is reliable, and it can be fully applied to the human body.
Certainly, the use of antibiotics in childhood is a very controversial issue. Some doctors prescribe antibiotics "just in case" - and this, of course, is wrong. However, there are many cases where antibiotics can save a child's life - in such a situation, taking such drugs is indeed more than justified. Although the risk of developing side effects in antibacterial drugs is constantly high: dysbacteriosis, digestive disorders, allergic processes. Also, we should not forget about the danger of "getting used" to pathogenic microorganisms to the effect of antibiotics: if there is a wrong treatment, there is a high probability that the next time the organism simply "refuses" to resist the infection on its own, and in return will demand more and more powerful antibiotics.
Special alarm is caused by the appointment of antibiotics to children aged 0 to 3 years. Immunity in such children only begins to form, and their body only learns how to cope with an infectious attack.
Further it is supposed to continue similar researches. In particular, scientists are interested in carrying out experiments that will provide information on the effect of combined antibiotic and probiotics - for example, lactobacilli. Perhaps, this combination can smooth out the negative effect of antibiotic therapy.
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