Overuse Of Antibiotics

An ongoing, and unfortunately growing, problem in the United States is pediatric overuse of antibiotics. The audience to whom the responsibility of this problem falls includes pediatricians and family practice physicians who are in the position to prescribe and administer antibiotics to children. Antibiotics have been one of man's greatest discoveries in the medical realm; saving thousands of lives that would have otherwise succumb to harmful, disease-causing bacteria.1 However, with the discovery of antibiotics has also come the misconception that they can be used repeatedly without harmful side affects.1 This pretense has more recently begun to be torn down by growing evidence of collateral damage to the beneficial bacteria inhabiting one's
Blaser, MD, author of Missing Microbes, and director of the Human Microbiome Program at New York University, Department of Medicine and Microbiology, has studied gut bacteria for over 30 years.2 Dr. Blaser's work in the Human Microbiome Program has produced evidence that a child's gut bacteria is less resilient than presumed to be. During early life, a child's microbiome may grow, transform, and diversify according to its environment.3 If an antimicrobial agent meant to destroy all bacteria is administered to a child, then the bacteria, with which the child has a mutually beneficial relationship, may become nearly deplete, never to reach full development.3 This event poses a great threat to children because many different species of gut bacteria are responsible for the prevention and elimination of harmful microbes and xenobiotics. Disturbing the developmental phase of the microbiome increases the risk for problems later in life.3 These adverse effects range from increased susceptibility to infection and disease, to changes in
Some doctors recommended taking probiotics while on a course of antibiotics to lower the risk of damaging the microbiome. Another solution would be a very restricted spectrum of antibiotics.1 By developing a product that targets, specifically, unwanted bacteria, and leaves desired bacteria intact, antibiotic collateral damage could lessen greatly. A product like this could also ensure that ancient microbes essential to health and protection from disease do not become