Global study reveals alarming antibiotic resistance in childhood infections

A recent study led by the University of Sydney has uncovered a concerning rise in antibiotic resistance, rendering many antibiotics recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) less than 50 percent effective in treating childhood infections. Conditions like pneumonia, sepsis, and meningitis in children are becoming increasingly challenging to manage due to antibiotic resistance.

This revelation highlights the urgent need to update global antibiotic guidelines, as the existing recommendations are no longer adequate to combat the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The study further emphasizes the need for global health efforts to address this issue, as regions such as South-East Asia and the Pacific, including Indonesia and the Philippines, are experiencing thousands of unnecessary child deaths each year due to antibiotic resistance.

Newborns are particularly vulnerable, with millions of cases of sepsis occurring worldwide, leading to up to 570,000 deaths annually, largely attributed to the lack of effective antibiotics for resistant bacteria.

The study highlights the inadequacy of several commonly prescribed antibiotics. Ceftriaxone, a widely used antibiotic for children, may only be effective in one out of three cases of sepsis or meningitis in newborns. Similarly, gentamicin, another frequently prescribed antibiotic, is expected to work in less than half of all sepsis and meningitis cases in children. Even aminopenicillins, often prescribed alongside gentamicin, demonstrate low effectiveness in combating bloodstream infections in babies and children.

Reference: Coverage gaps in empiric antibiotic regimens used to treat serious bacterial infections in neonates and children in Southeast Asia and the Pacific, The Lancet Regional Health - Southeast Asia, DOI 10.1016/j.lansea.2023.100291