I’m the first to admit that, in some instances, antibiotics can be life-saving. I’m also here to say that the majority of prescriptions written for antibiotics, especially for children, are completely unnecessary. Children today are given more antibiotics than at any other time in history, many times for viral infections, like colds, flu, sore throat (unless strep), and even bronchitis. Antibiotics for ear infections have shown to cause an increase in recurrence of those ear infections. Taking many doses of antibiotics, in essence, can destroy the digestive system. Antibiotics are not bacteria-specific. Not only do they kill the “bad” bacteria, but they also kill the healthy bacteria that populate the digestive system, possibly leading to, as a recent study suggests, Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) later in life. While there is not a clear cause and effect relationship, this study did notice that children diagnosed with IBD were more likely to have taken antibiotics (one or more courses) in their first year of life compared to children without IBD.
Inflammatory Bowel Disease, if you aren’t familiar, consists of Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis. It’s a chronic disease that causes inflammation of the intestines and symptoms almost too painful to mention – painful ulcers in the lining or inner wall of the intestines that cause bleeding, diarrhea, abdominal cramping, weight loss, and anemia. There is no known cure for IBD. It’s a lifelong disease. My daughter was recently suspected of having IBD. She has been having digestive issues for over a year now. So I’ve been doing a lot of research on this disease. Fortunately, it was determined that she did not have it, at least we’re pretty sure. There’s still a bit more testing that still needs to be done before we know for certain. But let me just say that it would be bad enough for a child to develop IBD; worse still if antibiotics were to blame.
As parents, we don’t want our children to suffer, and it’s very easy to just ask the doctor to give them something when they are sick. But viruses go away on their own and there are many natural remedies to help speed that along or at least ease the discomfort. Chiropractic care can also strengthen the immune system so children (and adults too) are less susceptible to infections altogether. But I’m asking you to do your research first and make sure that an antibiotic is worth taking and always make sure that you take probiotics along with the antibiotics and for at least 2 weeks after finishing a course, if not taking them every day for the health benefits.
