Before You Give Your Child Antibiotics, Watch This | TALRadio

Before You Give Your Child Antibiotics, Watch This | TALRadio

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Transcript:
(00:01) If it's around 100-105, not a high fever, but they are constantly lying down and show dull activity, then it is definitely something to worry about. Giving antibiotics for fevers caused by viral infections is of no real use. We cannot simply dismiss parents 'panic or their myths as completely unfounded.
(00:24) When kids consume things like ice cream , chocolates, or cool drinks, the sugar content in them tends to coat the throat. In that way, it makes it easier for infections to occur. Immediately take some warm water to clear out the throat. Vaccines are available for the diseases that do not have cures.
(00:44) You can take medicine for fever, and medicine for cold and cough. However, antibiotics must only be used after consulting a doctor every single time. Don't go to medical shops. You shouldn't go to a medical shop and ask them to give you antibiotics. Hello and welcome to Tall Radio. It is raining. In every home with small children, parents are on edge because they keep getting colds, coughs, and fevers.
(01:10) These happen frequently; the season stays like this for two or three months until December, and parents get worried . When kids get a fever, they think about going to the doctor to get antibiotics, or they think, "They gave us this antibiotic last time, it worked , so let's give the same one now, the fever will go away.
(01:27) " But doctors often tell you not to use antibiotics for children at all unless prescribed. They often tell you to think about antibiotic resistance. They also explain that bacterial and viral infections are different, and antibiotics should be used based on that. But out of fear, when the fever doesn't subside, parents often panic and use antibiotics.
(01:51) Today, let's talk to Dr. Vijayanand and find out what exactly parents should know about this. He is a neonatologist and pediatrician at Peoples Hospital and is also a Principal Investigator at the Resplais Autism Research Institute. So, let's talk to him and ask what our parents should know. Greetings, doctor. Greetings.
(02:13) You must still be seeing a lot of children with colds and coughs, right? So, first, what do you mean by antibiotic resistance? What exactly is antibiotic resistance? Antibiotic resistance means that even after taking an antibiotic, the bacteria do not decrease; the bacteria overcome that antibiotic.
(02:38) They stay strong. They grow stronger in the body, especially when we use antibiotics partially. When the same antibiotic is used repeatedly, The bacteria modify themselves and try to overcome it. Okay. That is called antibiotic resistance. Is that why you doctors keep saying not to give antibiotics to children so frequently? Yes, it is good to avoid them as much as possible.
(03:05) So, what is the difference between viral infections and bacterial infections? How can parents tell the difference? A virus is one type of germ, meaning a microorganism. Bacteria are another type of microorganism; they are ubiquitous, meaning they are everywhere. Viruses and bacteria are everywhere. Hmm.
(03:25) Some are helpful, some are harmful; the bacteria in our gut microbiome are actually helpful. Viruses are mainly the ones that cause disease, and we only have treatments for certain types of viruses. For most bacteria, we have many antibiotics available. But for viruses, we have very few antiviral treatments.
(03:53) I mean, now when a child gets a fever. How can parents know if it is a viral or a bacterial infection, is it necessary? Parents cannot differentiate between viral or bacterial infections. Even usually, like the common cold we get, a cold is caused by a virus; young children usually get viral infections rather than bacterial ones, so while bacterial infections can also attack directly, viral infections occur more commonly.
(04:20) But most of these viruses stay for about three to seven days and cause an infection. Our immune system controls this virus, and through that, the disease subsides. So that is why giving antibiotics for fevers caused by viral infections in children doesn't provide much benefit. Oh, it goes away on its own? Since it goes away anyway, out of panic , we sometimes give antibiotics to reduce it.
(04:55) Sometimes antibiotics are useful. That is when the virus attacks, our immune system weakens. During that weakened state, bacteria may attack; bacteria already within the body that are under control may increase, or external infections may occur because, in that compromised immune state, a bacterial secondary infection may arise from a viral infection, and in such cases, antibiotics are somewhat useful.
(05:24) But for mild viral fevers or infections , we don't need antibiotics. So, nowadays, parents often see colds or coughs in children, or sometimes we even see things like asthma where there is breathing difficulty and they nebulize them quickly. And when fevers happen, as a parent, you know, and you see many people, there is a fear.
(05:49) Not knowing what will turn serious, because there is a fear that after the fever crosses a day or two, will the child face any trouble? So, there is no need to panic all the time. And when should you take them for immediate doctor attention? Whenever a child gets a fever, they will be a bit sick.
(06:14) We control the fever by using paracetamol that is at home or previously prescribed by a doctor. When the fever is controlled and it subsides, if the child is playing well, moving around, taking food, and remains active during the time the fever is down. Okay. It is normal to be a bit dull when the fever returns. But if they are active and moving around when the fever is down, and if their food and water intake is good, there is no need to worry much.
(06:43) Okay. There is no need to fear just because it is a high-grade fever. Hmm. But suppose even if the fever is slightly low, say around 100 or 101, it's not a high fever, but if the child is always lying down and has dull activity, then we definitely have to go to the hospital. And if there is breathing difficulty, like struggling to breathe, gasping, heaving of the chest, or repeated vomiting, then it is definitely better to go to the hospital immediately.
(07:19) Meaning, when we notice a difference in the child's activity, not just during the fever, but even when the fever has subsided, if such symptoms persist, it is definitely important to take them in. Another thing is, if anyone else in the house has an infection, infections usually passed from child to child are less likely to become severe; infections from adults are easier to recover from.
(07:42) But infections from adults are a bit stronger because the viruses or bacteria have already overcome their immunity to affect them. When children get those infections, recovery takes some time, and antibiotics might be necessary. Whether or not to use them is decided by the doctor based on the severity.
(08:02) In such times, you must approach a doctor; usually, for any child, you can observe for one to three days. If it persists for more than three days, even if it seems under control, it is always better to see a doctor. When medicines are given, the fever stays away for five or six hours, but then it returns. Yes. It decreases a little.
(08:23) For newborns, in the first month up to three months, whatever fever they get, it is best to take them to a doctor instead of treating them at home like other children. This is because newborns up to three months can deteriorate drastically, and the infection spreads rapidly among them. So, they get sick in no time; that is why when they get fevers, since they are very young—below three months— You must consult a doctor immediately.
(08:59) For children between three months and one year, you can just give them syrups and observe for one or two days before taking them in. If they are over one year, you have more time, but for those less than a year, I definitely have to be very careful. What precautions should be taken in seasons where such infections are likely? You mentioned earlier that infections spread easily from adults, so if someone in the house is sick, what care should be taken for the children, and how can we prevent exposure?
(09:29) Usually, children have lower immunity, so they catch infections easily; for instance, in newborns, they get them very quickly. And for those aged six months to one year, they are crawling around. Since it's their crawling phase, they touch whatever they find and put everything they see into their mouths.
(09:48) So, that is why infections spread easily. Therefore, we must keep the home environment neat and clean. This means mopping regularly and ensuring it isn't too damp. Clothes should also be kept dry and not left damp. And hand hygiene is important; everyone handling the baby must wash their hands, use properly washed clothes, and as much as possible, try to avoid using things like ACs or coolers.
(10:21) Maintaining hygiene is key, and if there is a sick person at home, they should avoid handling the baby, stay away, or be in a different room; when putting the baby to sleep, they must only be placed next to a healthy person. Okay. If a sick person is in the room, the risk of infection is definitely higher, and it is also important to limit visitors.
(10:46) They say that not many visitors should come near newborn babies, at least for the first three or four months, right? Yes. Exposing them to too many people. Usually, we don't encourage it because they have a high chance of catching infections easily from the outside. That is why we try to avoid it as much as we possibly can.
(11:06) So, if a mother is breastfeeding and she has a viral infection, how is it necessary to handle the baby? In that condition, we don't need to stop breastfeeding; we can tell the mother to wear a mask while breastfeeding. Rather than the infection spreading through breast milk , there is a higher chance of it spreading through breathing.
(11:33) When the mother is breastfeeding and breathing, the infection can definitely spread automatically through the respiratory tract. So, she can wear a mask and breastfeed properly, and after that, without handling the baby too much, it should be handed over to healthy people . Okay. The baby should be kept in another room , a separate room.
(11:53) The baby can be brought to the mother only for breastfeeding, and the mother can be treated quickly so we can return the baby to her. Actually, regarding breastfeeding, are these truths or myths? You should tell us. Many times, mothers—or the medicines they take—or the food consumed by breastfeeding mothers is thought to cause colds in children.
(12:14) These are all beliefs people have. Like , eating tomatoes causes colds and the baby gets a cold, or that they shouldn't eat buttermilk. In some communities, they don't even give milk to the mother, thinking the baby won't digest it. So, are these myths or facts? You cannot completely dismiss them as myths, but at the same time, you can't say they cause infections.
(12:37) Infections usually come from the fruits we consume , or what we usually call tomatoes. Since we eat tomatoes cooked, the chances of getting infections from cooked food are minimal because we heat it. If we consume things like fruits raw without washing them properly, the chances of getting infections are higher; that is how infections happen.
(13:02) Infections do not occur because of this type of food. So... On that... Infections do not occur based on the food itself. Okay. An infection occurs based on how we consume it. Meaning, improperly cooked food, or food kept in the fridge for two or three days, not maintaining the right temperature, reheating and eating such things, or not washing fruits properly—some people drink raw juices that are not prepared well—these are the reasons, not the food itself directly given to the child.
(13:40) If the mother gets an infection, it spreads to the baby. Otherwise, many people believe that even if the mother doesn't have a cold, the baby got a cold because she ate tomatoes. That is not correct. Exactly. Because many times after delivery, in some regions, there are very strict dietary restrictions.
(14:01) A simple cold is a virus, so a viral infection does not come from tomatoes. Basically, in Ayurveda, they say that consuming too much sour food increases phlegm. So, in that way, since tomatoes are sour, maybe a little phlegm might occur, but it is not possible for it to cause a complete viral cold infection.
(14:25) Nowadays, children catch viral infections more easily once they start going to school. Yeah. In the first one or two years, until their resistance builds up, they start going to school at three or four years of age. So, what kind of care should parents take during that time? Because they are no longer at home, they go out , and parents don't have much control.
(14:44) So, is there anything they can try to increase their resistance power? Well, some mild infections actually help build their resistance; they don't get sick every single time they go out and get exposed. It is only when they catch strong infections that they get sick; otherwise, the body's immunity usually handles most bacteria and viruses.
(15:10) But still, we cannot just ignore it completely. We need to teach the children. About hygiene, like staying hygienic, which means washing hands. It is better for us to check the places where they play immediately after they return, to see what kind of environment they are playing in. Likewise, we must teach them to wash their hands immediately upon returning home, not to put their hands in their mouths under any circumstances while playing, and not to handle items directly even if they buy something nearby. If they wash their hands
(15:42) properly as soon as they get home, we can control most infections, and by making it a habit to wear a mask in cold climates or dusty areas, we can avoid many issues. Doctor, children are often very fond of ice creams and chocolates. Yeah. It is very difficult for parents to keep them away from these because they cause colds, fevers, and so on.
(16:11) So, do cold items or chocolates have a direct impact on children when they eat them? And also, regarding children's diet, they often end up eating outside food when they go out to parties or weddings . So, how should parents be careful during such times? It is very difficult for us to control that in children.
(16:38) It is a big challenge for parents. So, it is better to stay away from cold items as much as possible because they easily lead to infections, and when they have ice creams, chocolates, or cool drinks, the sugar content coats their throat. Okay. Because it stays there, and since there are already bacteria and viruses in our body—which are normally kept in check by our immunity.
(17:14) So, once these items coat the throat, the bacteria utilize that sugar content to flourish. Okay. In that way, infections can occur easily, so whenever they have sweets or chocolates or anything with sugar content, they should immediately clear their throat by drinking some warm water. Oh, okay. By clearing it that way, though the children might not know and we might overlook it, they won't pay attention to it. Okay.
(17:42) So, by clearing the throat that way, we can decrease the chances of getting affected. And when you feel a slight cold coming on, or your voice is slightly changing, or you have a mild cough, giving plenty of hot water, or hot water or milk with a little bit of turmeric, will be beneficial. At what age should we actually start avoiding habits like giving ice cream or chocolates to children? Up to two years of age, it is definitely very good to minimize any sugars.
(18:16) And I have heard that in other countries, in Western countries, they don't give sugar to small children at all. As much as possible, you must strictly limit it until two years, and limiting it up to five years is good. Five years. So, this also helps prevent frequent infections.
(18:35) Regarding antibiotics, some parents tend to use them thinking, "We know this, the doctor gave this same one last time," and use it quite often. And some people don't want to use antibiotics at all. There are parents who want to treat everything at home as much as possible for their children. So , what would you say about the balance between these two, and what should parents know? Yeah, overall, there are hardly 10 to 15 antibiotics available.
(19:02) And if we consider the ones used regularly, there are only about five to six antibiotics. These oral antibiotics are very limited. Okay. Infections are vast, so the expertise comes from knowing which of these limited antibiotics should be used for which infection, which only doctors know. Okay, okay.
(19:36) Only doctors can assess what kind of infection it might be and which antibiotic will help cure it. Just as our antibiotics are limited, the symptoms of illnesses are also limited. Okay. Easily. But illnesses with the same symptoms can be of many different types. So, it is not possible for normal people to assess that.
(20:03) So, you can definitely wait for one, two, or three days if the child is stable, but beyond that, it is not correct to keep them at home and treat them ourselves. And we can't say if the antibiotic used last time will work this time; that is understood only when the specific nature of the illness is determined.
(20:25) Another thing is dosage; children's age increases, and their weight increases. With that, suppose a child weighs 12 kilos at two years old and reaches 14 or 15 kilos by three years; the prescription from back then will have one dose, but the dose to be given now will be different. So, when the weight increases, the dosage needs to be changed, but not knowing this, they often give a low dose.
(20:49) That causes resistance again. Not only does it not go away, but even if you increase the dose of that antibiotic later, it might not work. So, that is a problem; even the dosage-based approach causes trouble. It will only subside if the correct dose is given. And some people even stop the course; if it's a five-day course, they stop after three days thinking it has subsided and the child is doing fine.
(21:16) Yeah, if it is a viral infection, even though we give antibiotics, as I usually say, viral infections are very common in children. So, when the fever is high-grade, we start antibiotics early, but if it is only a viral infection, there is no major issue if we stop the antibiotic early.
(21:36) Suppose it is bacterial, then by stopping it early, they won't be completely eliminated. It will come back. There is a possibility it might return or worsen after four or five days. By using half the dosage of antibiotics like that, resistance develops, and later on, even if you use that antibiotic, the condition won't improve , and we have to move to higher antibiotics.
(21:55) If it doesn't improve even after moving to higher antibiotics, then we have to go for IV antibiotics. So, as much as possible, since our options are limited , it is important to avoid antibiotics, but... In situations where it cannot be avoided, still... When and how to use them is something decided only after visiting the doctor.
(22:17) What is a small piece of advice you can give parents regarding antibiotics or infections, something they should always remember, like a rule of thumb? Yeah, what they should remember is that antibiotics must definitely always be taken only under a doctor's guidance. Don't prescribe them yourselves. We can take medicine for fever or cough and cold on our own, but for antibiotics, if you need to use them, you must definitely go to a doctor every time.
(22:49) And don't go to medical shops and ask them to give you antibiotics. We shouldn't ask for them, because they only know that antibiotics are given for infections. They don't know what is for what. They don't know what is for what; first thing, they don't know how much dosage should be given. They might be able to give it to adults, but for children, we decide based on age, weight, and the illness.
(23:16) Suppose there is an antibiotic like Augmentin, 20 mg to 40 mg can be given per kilogram. But we, as doctors, decide the dosage based on the child. Depending on the sickness, the dosage varies everywhere. That is, we decide based on weight, age, and severity. A pharmacist doesn't know that. Okay. So, definitely don't go to a pharmacist for antibiotics.
(23:45) With all these new vaccines coming out to prevent children from getting fevers and such, many parents have a doubt— even in my office, they are asking the same thing. So, there are some prescribed vaccines, and hospitals are suggesting many others; should we give them all? Because sometimes they are expensive.
(24:08) So, is it necessary to give them, or is what the government has prescribed enough? So, what do you say? The government provides certain types of vaccines. Besides these, the government may not have the funds to cover all vaccines. So, the government provides the main, essential vaccines as much as possible. That is a very good thing.
(24:31) Recently, providing the HPV vaccine is also a very good thing. Similarly, earlier, the vaccines given at one and a half months, two and a half months, and three and a half months used to cost us almost 9,500 to 10,000 rupees outside. Now the government provides those vaccines; previously they were given partially, now they are provided completely. Yeah.
(24:51) That's a very good thing; the government has significantly reduced the burden. Apart from these, many other vaccines are available in the private sector. The Indian Academy of Pediatrics also suggests taking certain types of extra vaccines. So, these vaccines are mostly available for diseases that don't have other treatments. Okay.
(25:21) So, when diseases for which there is no medicine occur, these vaccines prevent them from becoming severe to a great extent. Right. Even if a disease occurs, it doesn't mean the vaccine won't work at all. The chances of catching it are greatly reduced. Even if it occurs, it won't become severe. It significantly reduces the chances of reaching a life-threatening severity.
(25:45) So, in this way, we can prevent these diseases and reduce their intensity. It is best to take all available vaccines. Thank you so much. Many times, when parents—especially mothers—hold their children, they feel as much fear as they do joy. Because even a small change in their breathing or breastfeeding is immediately noticed by mothers.
(26:13) So, there is a fear; actually, all parents are more worried than they are enjoying their children. Fevers and colds seem small, but children don't eat or drink, don't breastfeed, and get weak very quickly. These are all frightening things. And at the same time, seeing things on social media, many people get confused by what they hear.
(26:37) So, every mother has doubts about the right knowledge and the best approach for their children to ensure their well-being. Therefore, this really helps many people. Thank you so much for your time. Definitely, we must talk about the research you have done on autism. Because many parents have a lot of doubts regarding autism as well.
(26:56) And for those who are about to become parents, I would definitely like to talk about what to do next. Certainly, thank you so much, sir. So, if we let go of the fear and stay a bit conscious and cautious, we can let children play happily and feel confident ourselves. So, every mother definitely has that little bit of fear.
(27:18) But it is enough if we take a few precautions. Most importantly, when raising children, awareness about their health is their greatest protection. If parents have awareness, they can take good care of their children. Antibiotics are truly a boon and protect children's health well, but they must be used carefully.
(27:40) As they say, even the best medicine can become poison if the dosage is off. So, by not taking chances with children's health and knowing when to approach doctors, we gain confidence, which is what we learned from the doctor today. Definitely, hoping that the information shared by Vijayananda garu today helps many parents, namaste.