When antibiotics won’t help your child 

Your child’s doctor usually won’t prescribe an antibiotic for these conditions. You can help by not asking for antibiotics if your child has:

• A cold.This is a viral illness. Your child may have a runny nose, stuffed-up nose, sneezing, coughing, headache, mild body aches, and fever. Nasal mucus may be white, green, or yellow. A cold gets better on its own in a few days to a week.

• The flu (influenza).This is a respiratory illness caused by a virus. It often goes away on its own in a week or so. Your child may have fever, body aches, sore throat, and fatigue.

• Bronchitis.This is an infection in the lungs most often caused by a virus. Your child may have coughing, phlegm, body aches, and a low fever. A common type of bronchitis is known as a chest cold (acute bronchitis). This often happens after a common cold. It can take weeks to go away, but antibiotics usually don’t help.

• Most sore throats.Sore throats are most often caused by viruses. But a sore throat may also be caused by the common bacteria streptococcus (strep throat). Your doctor can test for this. The throat may feel scratchy or achy. It may hurt to swallow. Your child may also have a low fever and body aches. A sore throat often gets better in a few days.

• Most ear infections.An ear infection may be caused by a virus or bacteria. It causes pain in the ear. A young child may pull at their ear. Antibiotics might not be prescribed. The infection often goes away on its own.

• Most sinus infections (sinusitis).This kind of infection causes sinus pain and swelling, and a runny nose. In most cases, it goes away on its own. Antibiotics don’t make recovery quicker.

• Allergic rhinitis.This set of symptoms is caused by an allergic reaction. Your child may have sneezing, a runny nose, itchy or watery eyes, or a sore throat. Allergies are not treated with antibiotics.

• Low fever.A mild fever that’s less than 100.4°F (38°C) most likely doesn’t need treatment with antibiotics.

• Most cases of diarrhea.Diarrhea is most often caused by viruses or a problem with food. Antibiotics won't make such symptoms go away. In fact, diarrhea is a common side effect of antibiotics. So they may make it worse. There are times that bacteria in the gut may cause diarrhea. Your doctor may test your child with a stool culture.

When antibiotics can help your child

Antibiotics can be used to treat:

• Strep throat.This is a throat infection caused by bacteria. Symptoms include a sore throat, white patches on the tonsils, red spots on the roof of the mouth, fever, body aches, and nausea and vomiting. Strep throat needs to first be confirmed with a test called a throat culture. Then antibiotics may be prescribed.

• Urinary tract infection (UTI).This is a bacterial infection of the bladder and the tube that takes urine out of the body. It can cause burning pain and urine that smells funny or is cloudy or tinted with blood. UTIs are very common. Antibiotics usually help treat these infections.

• Some ear infections.In some cases, your child’s doctor may prescribe antibiotics for an ear infection. In other cases, ear infections may get better without them. Your doctor may advise a watch-and-wait approach.

• Some sinus infections.In some cases, your child’s doctor may prescribe antibiotics. They may first need to make sure your child’s symptoms aren’t caused by a virus, fungus, allergies, or air pollutants, such as smoke.

If your child was prescribed antibiotics:

• Give them as directed. Do not stop using them just because your child feels better. Your child needs to take the full course of antibiotics.

• Never try to save leftover antibiotics to use "just in case." This can lead to resistant bacteria.

• Don't share the antibiotics with someone else. Don't take an antibiotic that was prescribed for someone else.

What are resistant bacteria?

When you use antibiotic medicine, it kills bacteria. But resistant bacteria don't respond to it. They don’t all die. They continue to cause infection. In some cases, the bacteria are already resistant to some antibiotics. But bacteria may also become resistant during treatment.

Your child's body does not become resistant to the medicines. The bacteria become resistant to the medicines.

It's very important to use antibiotics only when needed. Each time you give your child an antibiotic when it’s not needed or stop giving it before all the medicine is gone, you raise the risk of making resistant bacteria. So some diseases that in the past were easy to treat are now very hard to treat.

It’s important to know that:

• Antibiotic resistance is a problem for both children and adults.

• Antibiotics are meant to kill or weaken bacteria. Resistant bacteria happens when they survive the medicine.

• Resistance can happen if an infection is only partly treated. That's why you need to give your child the full course of antibiotics as directed.

• If a germ is resistant to a lot of medicines, treating the infections can be very hard or even impossible.

• An infection that is resistant to a medicine can be passed to another person. In this way, a hard-to-treat illness can be spread from person to person.

• Some antibiotic-resistant illnesses can lead to serious disability or even death.

When to contact your child's doctor 

Contact your child's doctor if: 

• Your child's symptoms get worse.

• The symptoms last more than 10 days.

• Your child has trouble breathing.

• Your child has no interest in eating.

• Your child has trouble swallowing.

• There is blood or pus from the ears or in saliva or phlegm.

• Your child has a fever (see Fever and children, below).

• Your child has signs of dehydration. These may include dry diapers, no tears, dry mouth, or weakness.

• There is excess drooling in a young child.

Fever and children

Use a digital thermometer to check your child’s temperature. Don’t use a mercury thermometer. There are different kinds and uses of digital thermometers. They include:

• Rectal.For children younger than 3 years, a rectal temperature is the most accurate.

• Forehead (temporal).This works for children age 3 months and older. If a child under 3 months old has signs of illness, this can be used for a first pass. The doctor may want to confirm with a rectal temperature.

• Ear (tympanic).Ear temperatures are accurate after 6 months of age, but not before.

• Armpit (axillary).This is the least reliable but may be used for a first pass to check a child of any age with signs of illness. The doctor may want to confirm with a rectal temperature.

• Mouth (oral).Don’t use a thermometer in your child’s mouth until they are at least 4 years old.

Use a rectal thermometer with care. Follow the product maker’s directions for correct use. Insert it gently. Label it and make sure it’s not used in the mouth. It may pass on germs from the stool. If you don’t feel okay using a rectal thermometer, ask the doctor what type to use instead. When you talk with any doctor about your child’s fever, tell them which type you used.

Below is when to contact the doctor if your child has a fever. Your child’s doctor may give you different numbers. Follow their instructions.

When to contact a doctor about your child’s fever

First, ask your child’s doctor how you should take the temperature.

For a baby under 3 months old:

• Rectal or forehead: 100.4°F (38°C) or higher

• Armpit: 99°F (37.2°C) or higher

• A fever of ___________ as advised by the doctor

For a child age 3 months to 36 months (3 years):

• Rectal or forehead: 102°F (38.9°C) or higher

• Ear (only for use over age 6 months): 102°F (38.9°C) or higher

• A fever of ___________ as advised by the doctor

In these cases:

• Armpit temperature of 103°F (39.4°C) or higher in a child of any age

• Temperature of 104°F (40°C) or higher in a child of any age

• A fever of ___________ as advised by the doctor