By Michael Dorausch, D.C.
A recent study published in a September issue of JAMA (the Journal of the American Medical Association) found that most kids with ear infections do not need antibiotics, but they get them anyway.
It is estimated that up to 98% of medical doctors treat ear infections with antibiotics immediately. It has long been common knowledge that there is widespread antibiotic drug prescriptive abuse throughout the United States and the rest of the world. During the past decade, the problem has gotten so bad that various public-health campaigns have been launched to educate both doctors and parents about the risks associated with prescribing antibiotics to children. In spite of the public awareness campaigns, millions of potentially harmful prescriptions are still being written for kids each year. Some doctors blame parents and suggest that parents are demanding prescriptions for their children’s illnesses. If doctors do not educate parents about the “wait and see” approach how are they to know?
Some countries in Europe have been experiencing success when educating parents about the risks associated with antibiotic use. Doctors found that what most kids need when suffering from an ear infection was time to heal and not a dose of antibiotics. Time is a critical factor in healing. Parents need to receive that information regularly from all health-care providers. Principal number six from the classic “Stephenson’s Chiropractic Textbook” states that there is no process that does not require time.
According to the study, ear infections are the most common reason antibiotic drugs are prescribed to children, with a reported 15 million prescriptions written annually. According to the American Academy of pediatrics, a whopping 80% of children that are not treated immediately with antibiotics will get better on their own. They get better as a result of their bodies innate capacity to heal. Those innate abilities require time to do their work. It can be a tough pill to swallow to rely on ones own abilities to heal when drugs and quick fix solutions are marketed to us constantly. However, becoming aware that we may be making the problem worse for our children may help some in making their decisions. Some reported side effects children can experience from taking antibiotics include diarrhea, upset stomach, rash, allergies, and the possibility of antibiotic drug resistance.
Maybe we’re just a little bit crazy here in California but nearly all the people that I know prefer to purchase antibiotic free milk, antibiotic free beef and poultry, etc. That’s if they even drink milk or eat such products. We make an effort to purchase fruits and vegetables that are free from chemicals and pesticides, and make other natural and/or organic choices when it comes to feeding ourselves and our families. We don’t even want our pets consuming unnecessary antibiotic laden products and we try to keep their nutrition as natural as possible. Why then do we continue to dump so much toxic sludge (in the form of antibiotics and other drugs) into our children? I’m no mathematician, but 80% of 15 million results in about 12 million unnecessary doses of antibiotics prescribed annually. 12 million unnecessary doses of antibiotics (or any drug) annually is not good for our children, it’s not good for our pets, and it’s not good for our environment,. It is good for antibiotic drug manufacturers, it’s good for shareholders, and it’s good for the business of medicine as usual.
Drugs, drugs, drugs or information, information, information. Parents should have better education about the benefits and risks associated with antibiotics and any other drugs their children may be being prescribed.
Interesting side note: There has been an experimental vaccine for childhood ear infections that has been undergoing testing for the past year or so. It contains proteins from the bacteria Streptococcus pneumoniae and nontypable Haemophilus influenzae. Call me crazy but if studies have shown that most kids with ear infections will heal on their own without the use of antibiotics why would we want to vaccinate them? Vaccinations have risks to children and profits to vaccine makers and their shareholders.
planetc1.com-news @ 10:46 am | Article ID: 1158180415
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