Use of antibiotics in children younger than two years in eight countries: a prospective cohort study

Antibiotics can be a lifesaving treatment for children with bacterial infections and are the most commonly prescribed therapy among all medications given to children. Furthermore, both at the individual and population levels, antibiotic overuse drives the development and transmission of antimicrobial resistance. International guidelines for the treatment of childhood illnesses recommend antibiotic treatment for diarrhoea with bloody stools and for acute lower respiratory tract infections, but not for non-bloody diarrhoea and for upper respiratory infections. 5] ifferences in antibiotic use practices around the world reflect differences in local medication policies, in barriers to access to care and in the preferences of health-care providers and mothers. 0] Cultural preferences, such as high demand by mothers, also influence patterns of antibiotic use.…