Beyond Fever: Why Unnecessary Antibiotics Can Harm Children

Fever is often a sign that the body is responding to an infection, but it does not necessarily mean that antibiotics are needed. In children, most common fevers are linked to viral illnesses, against which antibiotics have no effect.

However, anxiety around high temperatures can sometimes lead parents to give children antibiotics without medical advice.

Some may also use medicines left over from a previous illness. The easy availability of antibiotics over the counter in India has further contributed to their unnecessary use.

Doctors warn that frequent or inappropriate antibiotic use can expose children to avoidable health risks while also contributing to the wider problem of antibiotic resistance.

Why Parents Often Give Antibiotics Unnecessarily

According to Dr. Vivek Jain, Chairperson of the Pediatrics Department and Principal Director of Pediatrics at BLK-Max Hospital, Delhi, antibiotic misuse is often linked to misunderstandings about childhood infections.

Parents may find it difficult to tell the difference between viral and bacterial infections. Most childhood fevers are caused by common viral illnesses, including colds, flu and routine respiratory infections. Antibiotics, however, work against bacteria and do not treat viral infections.

As a result, giving antibiotics whenever a child develops a fever does not provide a medical benefit when the illness is viral and may instead expose the child to unnecessary risks.

Dr. Jain also cautions against judging the nature or severity of an infection solely from symptoms such as a high temperature or chills.

“Neither a high-grade fever nor a fever accompanied by chills automatically indicates a bacterial infection,” Dr. Jain said. He added that indiscriminate antibiotic use in such cases provides no medical benefit and adds to the growing public health problem of antibiotic overuse.

Antibiotic Resistance: A Growing Risk

Dr. Deepak Sharma, Senior Director and HOD, Paediatrics & Neonatology, Yatharth Super Speciality Hospital, Faridabad, said unnecessary or improper antibiotic use can create several health concerns for children.

One of the biggest risks is antibiotic resistance. Repeated or unprescribed use of antibiotics can encourage the development of bacteria that no longer respond effectively to commonly used medicines. These antibiotic-resistant bacteria, often referred to as “superbugs”, can make infections more difficult to treat.

According to Dr. Sharma, such infections may increase the chances of complications and, in some cases, mortality among children.

How Antibiotics Can Affect the Gut Microbiome

Antibiotics do not only target harmful bacteria. They can also affect beneficial bacteria living in the gut.

Dr. Sharma explained that this disruption of the gut microbiome may result in prolonged gastrointestinal problems. He also noted that changes to the gut microbiome could potentially affect a child’s growth and development.

For this reason, doctors stress that antibiotics should not be used simply because a child has a fever. Determining whether an infection is bacterial and whether antibiotics are actually required is an important part of appropriate treatment.