using antibiotics safely

Take Steps to Improve How They Work

Antibiotics can be life-saving medicine, but using them incorrectly can harm your child. Giving your child antibiotics when you shouldn’t can allow more resistant (tough to treat) bacteria to grow. This makes it harder for your child to fight bacterial infections in the future.

While your child is in the hospital, the doctor will review their medicine, including antibiotics, regularly. If your child needs to take antibiotics at home, it’s important to finish them unless the doctor gives you different instructions. This helps to make sure the antibiotics work if your child needs them in the future.

Take steps to prevent infection and improve antibiotic use after you and your child leave the hospital:

• Wash hands. This is one of the best ways to prevent the spread of germs that cause infections and keep your child healthy.
  
• Ask about symptom relief. Talk to the doctor about how to relieve your child’s symptoms so they can feel better.
  
• Only give antibiotics for infections caused by bacteria. Antibiotics don’t help illnesses caused by viruses, like colds and the flu.
  
• Ask about watchful waiting. Some bacterial infections can get better without antibiotics. The doctor may recommend waiting a few days to see if your child gets better before giving antibiotics.
  
• Take antibiotics as prescribed. Even if your child feels better, do not skip doses or stop giving an antibiotic early without approval from your child’s doctor. 
• Ask for help. If you have trouble getting your child to take medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist for tips.
  

Pay Attention to Dosage

When the doctor prescribes an antibiotic for your child, pay attention to the label. It’s important to make sure you’re giving the right dose for the right amount of time. Visit cdc.gov/antibiotic-use for tips on using antibiotics after discharge.