Yeah I know it's made bacteria more resistant. I presume that would eventually happen anyway, it's evolution after all, but there's no need in hurrying it along unnecessarily. I still think that by not giving your body the chance to fight it and build anti-bodies, due to early anti-biotic intervention, that we're cheating our immune system of the chance to develop natural resistances.
My theory essentially is that as a culture, we've started doing this so early in childhood, and so pre-emptively that by the time they have THEIR kids, the mother hasn't much of an immune system to pass on to her child, resulting in more sickly children and more rampant anti-biotic use to combat it. On top of that, you have the germ-o-phobe parents carrying around sanitizing moist naps and wiping down their kids and everything they touch, as if they could keep them from ever coming into contact with a germ. We can't sterilize our world.
Once started it's a hard cycle to break. Sure, no one wants to see their kids sick, but... people get sick. If they're experiencing a dangerously high fever, well sure, that needs to be nipped in the bud. But I say give 'em a few weeks to fight simple infections on their own. Manage the discomfort with analgesics and decongestants. Then if they're not getting better, consult a physician about anti-biotic treatment.
My theory essentially is that as a culture, we've started doing this so early in childhood, and so pre-emptively that by the time they have THEIR kids, the mother hasn't much of an immune system to pass on to her child, resulting in more sickly children and more rampant anti-biotic use to combat it. On top of that, you have the germ-o-phobe parents carrying around sanitizing moist naps and wiping down their kids and everything they touch, as if they could keep them from ever coming into contact with a germ. We can't sterilize our world.
Once started it's a hard cycle to break. Sure, no one wants to see their kids sick, but... people get sick. If they're experiencing a dangerously high fever, well sure, that needs to be nipped in the bud. But I say give 'em a few weeks to fight simple infections on their own. Manage the discomfort with analgesics and decongestants. Then if they're not getting better, consult a physician about anti-biotic treatment.
/two-cents
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