Over-Medication and Your Children: Do You Know the Facts?
I first heard the term "Generation Rx" in a speech given by Allergy Kids Foundation's Robyn O'Brien , referring to the abundance of prescription pills available to today's younger generation. O'Brien is a long-time supporter and now board member of Healthy Child Healthy World .
Click here to watch genConnect's interview with Rachel Sarnoff on protecting your children from harmful chemicals.
The idea is especially relevant this week, as I read about new study published in Pediatrics that reveals the over-prescription of antibiotics to kids.
Researchers at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City analyzed nearly 65,000 pediatric visits from 2006 through 2008 and found that doctors prescribed an antibiotic at one out of five visits, writing more than 10 million unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions each year , many for conditions like the flu, allergies and asthma, which are not bacterial and therefore not affected by antibiotics.
Another study that came out earlier this month also links these drugs, which destroy non-harmful bacteria in the intestines, to a rise in obesity , according to ABCNews .
For years, we've been hearing about misuse of antibiotics. Healthy Child Healthy world has published information about the use of these drugs in the food chain and about why many pediatricians believe a proactive approach is best for conditions such as strep.
More importantly, these new studies once again underscore the necessity for us as parents to communicate with our pediatricians and not be afraid to ask questions when a prescription is offered. There's nothing more frightening than caring for a sick child, but there's nothing more important than making sure the remedy will help, not hinder, her recovery.
For related links on genConnect:
Should the Morning After Pill Be Given to Girls Under 17 Without Prescription
E. Coli: 5 Things to Know, Including How It's Spread, Treated
About the author:
Rachel Lincoln Sarnoff is the Executive Director/CEO of Healthy Child Healthy World, the non-profit that leads the movement to protect children from harmful chemicals. Previously, she founded the online magazine EcoStiletto.com, MommyGreenest.com and Sugar Public Relations; she also was editor-in-chief of Children magazine.
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