ANTIBIOTIC CAUSES SEVERE PROBLEMS IN NEWBORNS

The Associated Press reported on December 17, 1999 that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that erythromycin, one of the more common antibiotics in use today, can cause a severe stomach disorder if used in infants.
 
In February, a Knoxville, Tennessee hospital gave erythromycin to 200 babies after they were exposed to whooping cough. 7 (3.5%) of the babies developed pyloric stenosis, a closing up of the valve that empties the stomach into the small intestine.  Pyloric stenosis blocks digestion, causes projectile vomiting and must be corrected surgically.
 
Aside from use connected to whooping cough exposure, erythromycin is also used in newborns to treat chlamydia and gonorrhea infections transmitted from their mothers during the birth process.
 
By way of commentary, 3.5% is an incredibly high complication rate for any procedure or drug, especially if those complications require surgical correction. At some point we must ask ourselves whether exposure to a normal childhood disease is worth the trade-off of a dangerous preventative intervention.
 
 
 Back To Top            Home Page            More Articles