In the News--Children experiencing several diarrheal illness linked to antibiotics

Have you heard about C. diff infections?  C. diff (Clostridium difficile) is a bacterial infection that can cause problems when a person is taking strong antibiotics. For example, little Jimmy has an ear ache and his mother takes him to their doctor for treatment.  The doctor prescribes antibiotics and Mom takes little Jimmy home to get well.  This treatment has always worked well before. 

But this time, things are different:  as the antibiotics work to kill the infection in Jimmy’s ears, the antibiotics also kill germs that live in Jimmy’s gut.  As the beneficial germs in Jimmy’s gut are killed, he is vulnerable to a germ called C. diff.  Jimmy begins to have diarrhea and becomes very ill from the C. diff infection.  With treatment Jim does get well but it’s a tough time for their family. 

Here’s statistics from the Centers for Disease Control:  71% of C. diff infections in children aged 1 through 17 years are community-acquired (the germ is picked up outside the hospital—no hospital admission for these kids).  73% of these kids had received antibiotics within the four months prior to their illness.  The CDC estimates 17,000 children ages 1 through 17 come down with C diff infections each year.  The C. diff infections can be severe and even life-threatening.  

I share this with you to make this point—antibiotics are wonderful, miracle working drugs when needed, but they have their own unique side effects—they kill our normal, beneficial germs which live inside our bodies and this absence, makes us vulnerable to germs like C diff.  Talk to your doctor about whether antibiotics are needed or not; never demand your dr. prescribe antibiotics. Also ask your doctor if he/she recommends you take a probiotic type supplement to help protect your normal healthy gut germs and if so, what brand and how much probiotic he recommends.

http://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2014/p0307-severe-diarrheal-illness.html