Children are prescribed antibiotics more often than any other age group, and a new study published in the British Medical Journal warns these treatments might become significantly less effective very soon if current prescription practices go unaddressed.
Researchers from Imperial College London and the University of Bristol, both in the U.K., reviewed 58 studies from more than 25 countries of urinary tract infections in children and found that after being treated for infections, many children still harbored antibiotic-resistant pathogens in their systems, particularly those under the age of five.
The findings suggest that many commonly prescribed first-line antibiotics, including trimethoprim, ampicillin and co-trimoxazole, are ineffective at completely eradicating the bacteria.
"Our study suggests policy makers and medical staff need to carefully consider the type of antibiotic they are prescribing to patients," Ceire Costelloe, PhD, an author of the study, said in a statement. "Although antibiotics are crucial to tackling infections in children — and should always be taken if prescribed — European and U.S. guidelines recommend that if resistance to a particular type of antibiotic is above 20 percent, this particular medication should no longer be used as first line treatment. However, we found that resistance exceeds this in most areas of the globe. This needs urgent attention, to prevent a scenario where antibiotics are no longer effective."