Kids' antibiotic prescriptions fall in the US

WE HAVE long been warned of the dangers of antibiotic overuse - now it seems that the penny has finally dropped.

A report by the US Food and Drug Administration suggests that antibiotic use in children is falling, although they still remain a popular treatment.

A team from the FDA studied a national database of US drug prescriptions for children under 17 between 2002 and 2010 and found that in this period they fell by around 9 per cent. Prescriptions for antibiotics dropped further still, by 14 per cent, although they still made up a quarter of the total. Overuse of antibiotics is a concern because it can lead to bacterial resistance.

Meanwhile, prescriptions for drugs to treat allergies, pain and colds also decreased, while those for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) soared by 46 per cent (Pediatrics DOI: 10.1542/peds.2011-2879).

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