- TORONTO (CP) -- Prescriptions
of one class of antibiotics have risen dramatically for children under
five, raising fears that drug-resistant strains of bacteria could soon
develop among Canadian preschoolers, research suggests. And in one of two
new studies, the researchers found that the decision to prescribe an antibiotic
often depends not only on whether a doctor is a general practitioner or
a pediatrician, but also on the income level of parents and whether a child
is male or female.
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- Anita Kozyrskyj, an epidemiologist at the University
of Manitoba and lead author of the studies, said the good news is overall
antibiotic use in children under age 19 dropped by one-third between 1995
and early 2002. The drop is likely in response to guidelines issued to
doctors to use the drugs less.
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- But the bad news is that the number of prescriptions
for antibiotics known as broad-spectrum macrolides soared more than 12-fold
during the same period to treat common childhood illnesses, such as acute
ear infections, among preschoolers.
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- The study says the findings, which looked 325,000 Manitoba
children per year over seven years, can be applied to youngsters across
Canada, since prescription patterns are similar in other provinces. The
study also found children from low-income families were more likely to
be prescribed an antibiotic than higher-income kids, often for respiratory
tract illnesses, for which the drug is ineffective.
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- While studies show lower-income children often have poorer
health, Kozyrskyj said many of these kids didn't need the drugs.
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- "We know that low-income children live in certain
parts of our cities, they live in certain neighbourhoods, they play together,"
she said.
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- "And so the concern is -- although we don't have
evidence at this time -- that these children would be at greater risk of
antibiotic resistance."
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- Copyright © 2004, Sun Media Corporation / Netgraphe
inc. All rights reserved. http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/CalgarySun/News/2004/07/20/549462.html
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