Antibiotics were hailed as wonder drugs when they were introduced in the 1940s, dramatically reducing the illness and death caused by infectious diseases. However, over the years the bacteria that antibiotics treat have grown and changed in ways that reduce or eliminate the effectiveness of these drugs.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that most important bacterial infections in the United States and throughout the world are becoming resistant to the routinely available antibiotics. For instance, in the 1990s, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus was first seen to spread in the community after decades of being identified only in healthcare settings such as hospitals, nursing homes and dialysis units. Further, strains distinct from those transmitted in hospitals now have been identified in the community setting.

“The more antibiotic use we have, the more resistance is developed,” says Dr. Jane Siegel, an infectious disease specialist on the medical staff at Children’s Medical Center Dallas. “Antibiotics don’t work against the viruses that cause colds, most sore throats and coughs, and the flu. When antibiotics are used heavily and indiscriminately, the result is an increase in resistant germs, and then sick children don’t respond as well to the usual antibiotics when they do need them.”

Studies have shown that educating parents about the growing problem of antibiotic resistance leads to significantly decreased antibiotic use. How can you help prevent antibiotic-resistant infections in your family?

• Talk with your pediatrician about antibiotic resistance. If an antibiotic is not likely to help your child’s illness, ask what else you can do to help him feel better sooner.
• Give your child any antibiotic exactly as the pediatrician has directed. Don’t save any of it for a future illness, and don’t take any antibiotic prescribed for someone else.