Antibiotics For 5 Month Old?

[erin-x]

Hi :) My nephew was taken into the hospital this week for a urine infection and was put on IV antibiotics for a few days. He had an ultrasound scan to check his kidneys and they couldn't spot anything on that but they have said he has to keep taking oral antibiotics for three months and has to go back for an MRI in 6 months. Surely this is way too long for anyone to be on antibiotics never mind a five month old baby? These are all the details I've been given so far so I can't expand on anything, sorry! Just wanted to see if this was normal?

[gingejbee]

I'm sure that sqad has a good answer for this....but some conditions are treated with low dose antibiotics over an extended period.

[erin-x]

Thanks :) I haven't been on here in ages and didn't know if Sqad was still about! Maybe that's what it is. I'm going to see him tomorrow so hopefully they'll give me more info. I just thought it was really strange. Never heard of an antibiotic treatment lasting that long and i've worked with kids for nearly 6 years!

[237SJ]

As he is a young baby I would imagine that his immune system wouldn't be very strong so maybe that is why he will be on antibiotics for such a long time.

[Sqad]

Urinary tract infections in babies and children are quite common and easily checked by a 5 day course of antibiotics(depending upon which antibiotic is chosen.). The danger of repeated infections is that the kidney may get involved and this is indeed a serious complication and hence for resistant or repeated attacks, long term antibiotics "may " be used.

"Surely this is way too long for anyone to be on antibiotics never mind a five month old baby? "
You make a very good point erin and using long term antibiotics to prevent complications must be weighed against the development of resistance to the antibiotic which clearly would defeat the object of the treatment.
Some Pediatricians DO use long term antibiotics, some DON'T , it being, like most things in medicine,a matter of opinion.
I would want a very erudite and compelling explanation before I would allow my 5 month old baby to be treated with long term antibiotics.
There may well be a good reason.

[erin-x]

Thanks for explaining Sqad! It makes a bit more sense why they might do that now. Hopefully it's not an ongoing thing and this sorts it out. Thanks all! :)

[sherrardk]

My second eldest son was diagnosed with a potential kidney problem before he was born. He was given antibiotics as soon as he was born, although I think he only had them for two weeks.

[anneasquith]

The fact that he has to have an MRI in 6 months maybe relevant ?