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Antibiotics pose risk for children

It is being called one of the world's most pressing public health concerns; antibiotic resistance.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finds too many doctors are prescribing broad spectrum antibiotics to children and teenagers. Improper use of antibiotics promotes resistance.

Dr. Alicia Demirjian with the CDC says, "It’s a big problem and if we don't act fast it's just going to get bigger. They are becoming less and less effective."

Children are of particular concern because they have the highest rates of antibiotic use. Resistance can cause significant danger and suffering for people who have common infections that once were easily treated with antibiotics. Some resistant infections can even cause death.

Antibiotics were prescribed in sixty-eight percent of acute respiratory tract visits and of those eighty percent were unnecessary according to CDC guidelines.

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