Antibiotic for My 11 Month-old?

I would be leery to give such a young child an antibiotic for a condition that really is not causing any ill effects.

The brand Weleda makes a diaper creme that contains calendula, which is a very soothing, gentle herb. I would give that a try first, before the antibiotics. It is not cheap--$10/tube--but a pea-sized drop covers the whole diaper area.

Good luck!

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Hi C.
You have gotten some really mixed responses. I completly agree with ann-marie. If it truly is a bacterial infection you will want to put him on antibiotics. My daughter ended up with a staph infection because we origanally did not put her on a antibiotic for a seemingly harmless rash and she ended up in the hospital with intervines antibiotics if you give them now for a short time it should clear right up and then you should use your children probiotics and fish oil to get his system back in balance. Good luck I hope it clears up soon. T.

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I don't know if you are looking for any other suggestions regarding possible bottom ointments but I had a similar issue with my daughter, never ending diaper rash. It actually burned off the top layer of her bottom and it lasted for months. I found this ointment called "Angel Baby Bottom Balm." I love it. It honestly cleared so much of her bottom up in just one usage. I too hate using antibiotics and she ended up getting this rash after I used them for an ear infection...never doing that again!

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Keflex side effects
Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat. Call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:
diarrhea that is watery or bloody;

seizure (convulsions);

fever, sore throat, and headache with a severe blistering, peeling, and red skin rash;

pale or yellowed skin, dark colored urine, fever, confusion or weakness;

easy bruising or bleeding, unusual weakness;

confusion, agitation, hallucinations (seeing things that are not there); or

urinating less than usual or not at all.

Less serious side effects are more likely to occur, such as:

mild nausea, vomiting, diarrhea;

dizziness, tired feeling;

joint pain; or

vaginal itching or discharge.

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Hi C.! I personally hate the over use of antibiotics and I try to stay away from them if at all possible. BUT, there is a time and a place for them. Given the fact that it is a bacterial infection I would use the antibiotics. There are several ways to boost immunity after the dose is finished. Infant probiotics and fish oils are great for that purpose.
Natural methods are wonderful for prevention and, many times, for cures BUT things like infections in babies can get out of hand and you could be dealing with more serious issues such as staph infections.
The fact that you are still breastfeeding is a HUGE asset to your sons immunities! All in all I would say to treat with the antibiotics and then go all out in boosting his immunity again.

***EDIT*** Please do NOT use tea tree oil "straight"! It will burn the skin! Also, Melagel should not be used on infant skin. It also can burn the skin. Very uncomfortable!

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C.,
I have a 9 month old and he has had a couple minor ear infections and we decided not to treat either with antiotics. My pediatrician was supportive of the decision because the studies are indicating that it is not such a good idea to give kids, under age 6 (I think) antibiotics. It really lessens their bodies abilities to fight things on their own. Once you start using antiobiotics it is all down hill from there.
My son's chiropractor is also an advocate of healthy remedies instead of antiobiotics and said that if you do choose to use the antiobiotic then after you have finished the prescription you have to reintroduce that bacteria to their body so that they can still learn to beat that bacteria on their own.
If your doctor is so sure that it is a bacteria, why hasn't he prescribed a topical antiobiotic first?
Is he sure that it isn't exzema? My son has exzema that we thought was ringworm, turned out it is only exzema and the Aveeno Baby soothing relief really works wonders on it.
Good Luck with whatever decision you make!

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Antibiotics are not always bad. If your ped took a culture of the area and did find bacteria I, personally would take the antibiotics. I would rather have the possibility of mild side effects from the antibiotics than the chance that the infection could get worse. If it has already been there for 7 weeks and it is not clearing up then the antibiotics may be the way to go. Also, if there are breaks in the skin, it leaves an opening for more bacteria to get in especially in the diaper area that is exposed to stool. If you are really concerned, you could always check with another doctor for a second opinion before giving your child the meds. I have taken Keflex before without any side effects but the meds are different for everybody. Good luck.

Have you changed diaper brands lately? My granddaughter never had a diaper rash throughout her first year. She didn't have diaper rashes much from one to two until we changed to Walmart's off brand pull-ups. We thought it was teething and nothing seemed to clear it up. When her momma took her out of town for a week and half, she used diapers to make it easier with the diarrea she had. I watched her for a day when they came back and I used the pull-ups I have here since I didn't have any diapers. By that night she had the rash back and I figured that it had to be a reaction to something in the pull-ups. We went back to diapers full time and she cleared up and hasn't had anymore trouble. Try using a sensitive diaper like pampers and see if that helps some. It could be as simple as a allergic reaction to something in the diaper.

You could try one of those over the counter antibiotic creams you can find in the first aid section of any store. Otherwise, ask your doctor for an prescription antibiotic cream that can be placed right on the rash if you are worried about oral antibiotics.

Good luck!
P.
Mom to 7 year old boy/girl twins, and a 4 year old girl.

Hello, My daughter was on Keflex for an ear infection at 9 months and then again at 10 months. She did get slight diarrhea, but no other problems at all. I prefer Keflex actually since it is only a 3-4 day dose rather than 10 days.

I'm not familiar with that antibiotic, and neither of my boys ahve ever taken an antibiotic either. I understand your hesitancy. However if your doctor did a swab and it was for sure bacterial, did he tell you WHAT bacteria it was? Is it a fungus, like yeast or thrush? You are nursing, thats a possibility, and taking ACIDOPHILUS, and breaking open a caplet and giving the powder to him a couple times a day will clear up yeast/thrush.

If he did a swab and had it tested, and it came back as bacteria, and you trust your doctor and his opinion, then go ahead nad use the antibiotic. But I do understand your being hesitant, I am the SAME way, I hardly give my boys Motrin or any other 'drug', neither has had more than 2-3 doses of Motrin/Tylenol in thier lives!

I've heard of people putting yogurt on rashes to counteract the bad bacteria with good stuff. You'd want to get one with live cultures (maybe this is just for yeast rashes though). If you do decide to do the antibiotics, make sure you give probiotics also so all his friendly digestive flora and fauna don't get too damaged. You should separate the abx and probiotics by two hours so they don't interfere with each other.

I have never had any issues with antibiotics for my children. If nothing else is working, I'd be getting it for my little one. As an infection, if you don't get rid of it, it will just get worse.

Antibiotics are not bad. The overuse of antibiotics is.

have you tried aveeno cream? it is all natural too...

C.,you are VERY fortunate if this is the first antibiotic your child has been on. They are not harmful in small doses, by all means, put him on it. It's when your doctor is trying to give you one for every cold and sinus problem (which kids get every month or so at first) that you need to be wary of.

Hi,
I know I am not a doctor, but does your son have a bad case of diaper rash? My son did at one point and nothing seemed to clear it up, including the perscription nistatin (I think it was) from the doctor. My ped recommended an over-the-counter mixture called Domeboro. It is a powder that you mix with water. Saturate a cloth (I used a paper towel) and lay it on the affected area. I then put my son's diaper right over that and left it on until the next diaper change. It was the only thing that cleared up the diaper rash. It takes out the moisture from the area, which is usually the cause of diaper rash. I tried leaving him bare as well to let him air dry and it didn't seem to help, but this Domeboro helped. It is a little on the expensive side and I didn't discard the solution I used after 1 usage like the directions said. It makes it go a little further and helps with the cost. I just put a lid on it and used it again, and I never redipped the cloth that touched him. Good luck!

Hey, C.! My daughter's been on an antibiotic (Bactrim) since she was a month old in order to prevent bladder infections. We haven't had any problems with it at all and it's a bit of a stronger antibiotic. We do make sure she gets a serving of yogurt each day for acidopholis to balance the antibiotic and to help prevent any yeast infections from popping up. I think if the doctor is prescribing the antibiotic, your son probably needs it. I'd suggest going ahead and giving him the full course of the antibiotic, but while doing so, add some plain yogurt into his diet. We mix it with mashed banana or other mashed fruit to make it taste better. Good luck with it!

Yes I agree antibiotics should be taken only when necessary, but when necessary it should be taken and take the whole course of them as prescribed. Bacterial infections can become worse and spread to other areas of the body if not taken care of. The real dangers are the antibiotics that people use everyday as in antibacterial soaps and cleaners. This is a constant interaction with antibiotics which is much more dangerous (and helps develop multi resistant bacteria) than the occasional use of antibiotics to clear up something that really should be cleared up.

Whatever you choose good luck with your daughters rash and never be afraid to raise lots of questions at the doctors office if you are unsure about anything.

Lanoline, and bag balm both work great on diaper rash if you want to try them.

Hi C.,
I would go ahead with the antibiotic. Your ped. has taken swabs of the area and determined the infection to be bacterial. Most doctors now don't give out antibiotics for every little thing anymore because it ends up being bad in the long run (for everyone!). As another poster had said...they didn't treat an ear infection with antibiotics but those are now found to be viral most of the time... some docs will say to use the numbing drops then in 3 days if it's still a problem will call in an antibiotic. This situation is totally different though. A bacterial rash isn't going to go away on it's own. I would do the 3 day course of antiobiotics. Be sure to continue breastfeeding whenever he wants as his tummy may be a little upset. And if he ends up with diarrhea he'll need the fluids. Good luck and hope he's better in a couple days.

From experienc eof working with drs, most do not give antibiotics very freely. There is a reason your son needs it, and other forms did not work. All medications come with some risk, even tylenol, but he is a pediatrician and knows best. Trust your childs dr, and talk to him about your fears of giving your young child medicines, and he, or your pharmacist would be the best for explaining the benefits and risks.

I know of some guttate psoriasis (autoimmune disorder) suffers who are on Keflex (low-dose) all the time, sometimes for years at a time. This is because the alternative (catching something bacterial infections like strep) can be debilitating). I think Keflex is used in those situations because it's fairly mild and has few side effects, so I would imagine using it sparingly like for your daughter's infection should be just fine.

I've always found some probiotics help to keep the diarrhea away while on antibiotics. We use Florajen. It is sold in capsules at Whole Foods. I always just popped open the capsules and put some of the powder in food or on my fingertip into baby's mouth. My ped said it was perfectly safe as it is the same stuff in yogurt.
After reading others' responses, I wonder if a topical antibiotic would be more appropriate and also avoid the systemic antibiotic that you're leary of anyway. Might be worth a call to your doc.

I have never had to use for myself or children keflex, but for rashes, scrapes, burns and insect bites we always use a product called MELAGEL. Its main ingredient is Melaleuca oil, it is an essential oil that has natural antiseptic properties. You can buy it online, I have seen it on ebay, but normally you would buy it from a distributor,(my aunt sent me what I have)who knows, theres probably a mamasource distributor too. Its a great product, we use it on our daughter whenever she gets rashes or irritations and it will clear it up overnight. Hope this helps.

C.,

Please follow your Dr.'s instructions on this. You have a positive test for a bacterial infection. When a Dr. prescibes an antibiotic, they weigh the benefit against any risk of the drug. In this case your Dr. knows that the benefit of clearing the infection using an antibiotic outweighs the risk of side effects. Leaving a bacterial infection untreated can lead to bigger problems later. You've already tried alternative solutions, and after exhausting those did the right thing by seeking a Dr.'s advice. Follow their instructions without delay to get that nasty bacteria out of your son's body. If you had a positive test for a bacterial infection for yourself, wouldn't you take the antibiotic? Your child is at a much higher risk for complication if you do not use the antibiotic. Use the whole course as directed.

Take Care,
V.

Try tea tree oil it is natural and has antifungal and antibacterial properties. You can put a few drops in a carrier oil or just use it straight. I prefer to put a few drops in my hands and pat them on the affected area. Do it several times a day for a few days before trying antibiotics. It works great and I have had a lot of success with it. Hope it helps.