Between Healing and Harm

Every time we take antibiotics, most of the microbes in our gut are wiped out. It can take up to two years for the ecosystem to recover, and many of those microbes may never return. When children take antibiotics, their risk of developing conditions like Crohn’s disease, diabetes, obesity, and asthma increases significantly. Unless the infection is life-threatening, using antibiotics should be a carefully considered decision.

Antibiotics have saved countless lives and extended human lifespans. But their side effects are serious. To the trillions of microbes living in our intestines, antibiotics are toxic. That’s why growing children, whose bodies are still developing, should avoid them whenever possible. In most cases, it’s better not to use them at all.

Antibiotics walk a fine line—between medicine and poison.

antibiotics, microbes, children