Paediatrician Dr Usman Ibrahim cautioned parents against indiscriminate antibiotic use in children, warning that it may contribute to antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
Ibrahim, Senior Registrar in Paediatrics at Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), shared these concerns in a Tuesday interview with NAN in Lagos, highlighting common practices that lead to antibiotic misuse.
He identified practices such as obtaining antibiotics without prescriptions, reusing drugs from previous illnesses, using them for viral infections, and sharing prescribed antibiotics among children.
He also cautioned against setting arbitrary intervals for preventive antibiotic use and stopping prescribed treatment prematurely.
“Antimicrobial resistance occurs when organisms that should naturally be killed by commonly available antibiotics no longer succumb, increasing morbidity and making treatment more expensive,” he said.
Ibrahim explained that inappropriate antibiotic use, such as incorrect dosing or stopping treatment early, can lead to treatment failure and adverse drug reactions.
He noted that using antibiotics for viral infections can destroy beneficial bacteria in the skin and gut, disrupting the body’s normal flora.
According to him, bacteria can develop genetic mutations that confer antibiotic resistance and transfer this resistance to other bacteria in their population.
He added that resistant bacteria can spread to other children, making infections more difficult to treat.
The paediatrician warned that increasing resistance could limit treatment options, as some antibiotics may become ineffective against resistant infections.
He noted that treatment costs may rise as cheaper drugs become ineffective, and affected patients may require longer hospital stays.
“Antimicrobial resistance can increase treatment failure for diseases that were previously easily treated, as well as morbidity and mortality,” he said.
Ibrahim advised parents not to purchase antibiotics over the counter without consulting a doctor and obtaining a prescription.
He emphasised that not all illnesses, including fever, cough, or catarrh, require antibiotics, and urged parents to follow prescribed dosages and complete the recommended treatment duration.
He also advised parents to stop dHe also advised parents not to request antibiotics from doctors and to avoid sharing prescribed medications among children.
