Global Childhood Infections Face Antibiotic Resistance Crisis: Lancet Study

Common childhood infections in many parts of the world, including India, are becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics, according to a recent study published in The Lancet Regional Health-Southeast Asia journal. The research, led by a team at the University of Sydney, Australia, reveals that several antibiotics recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) are now less than 50% effective in treating conditions like pneumonia, sepsis, and meningitis in children.

The study underscores the urgent need for updating global antibiotic guidelines, as it shows that existing guidelines are outdated and unable to combat the growing problem of antibiotic resistance in childhood infections. The most affected regions are Southeast Asia and the Pacific, where thousands of children lose their lives each year due to antibiotic resistance.

The WHO has already identified antimicrobial resistance (AMR) as one of the top 10 global public health threats. Newborns are particularly vulnerable, with an estimated three million cases of sepsis occurring globally each year, resulting in up to 570,000 deaths. Many of these fatalities can be attributed to the lack of effective antibiotics for treating resistant bacteria.

The research adds to mounting evidence that common bacteria responsible for sepsis and meningitis in children are increasingly resistant to prescribed antibiotics. The current WHO guidelines, last updated in 2013, are ill-equipped to address the rapidly evolving rates of AMR.

The study identified specific antibiotics, like ceftriaxone and gentamicin, that have seen a decline in their effectiveness in treating sepsis and meningitis in newborns and children. Ceftriaxone was found likely to be effective in treating only one in three cases, while gentamicin could treat fewer than half of all sepsis and meningitis cases.

Gentamicin is often prescribed alongside aminopenicillins, which also showed low effectiveness in combating bloodstream infections in children.

The study analyzed data from 6,648 bacterial isolates across 11 countries and 86 publications, focusing on antibiotic susceptibility for common bacteria causing childhood infections. However, it's essential to note that the data primarily came from urban tertiary hospital settings, with some over-representation from specific countries, particularly India and China.

The study's findings sound a critical alarm on the worsening issue of antibiotic resistance in childhood infections worldwide. Urgent updates to global guidelines and increased research and funding for pediatric antibiotics are necessary to protect the health of vulnerable children.