Study Warns of Rising Antibiotic Resistance in Children Globally

Sydney (ANTARA) - Children’s resistance to antibiotics is rising globally and could worsen over the next decade, threatening the effectiveness of life-saving antibiotics, according to research led by an Australian institution.

The study, led by the University of Sydney (USYD), found that antibiotic resistance increased in every region between 2004 and 2022, with babies and children in intensive care units and those living in lower-resource countries the groups most affected, according to a USYD statement released on Tuesday (28 July).

Researchers from Australia, China and the United States analysed more than 106,000 infection samples from children aged up to 18 years across 82 countries and regions.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) occurs when bacteria evolve to withstand antibiotic treatment, making infections harder to treat.

Children are particularly vulnerable because they experience high levels of bacterial infection yet have fewer antibiotic treatment options compared with adults, the researchers said.

They noted that around 840,000 deaths in children under five worldwide in 2021 were linked to AMR.

The findings, published in JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) Pediatrics, show that resistance is rising most sharply among antibiotics classified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as “last resort” or “to be closely monitored” to prevent overuse and preserve their effectiveness when first-line treatments fail.

Two types of Gram-negative bacteria, Acinetobacter baumannii and Klebsiella, were identified as the drivers of resistance globally, with Klebsiella recording the fastest growth rate, particularly in Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe and the Western Pacific, as shown by the study.

The team has also launched AMR in Kids, an online platform that tracks antibiotic resistance by country, bacterial type and antibiotic class, complete with projections up to 2035, to help improve prescribing practices and public understanding of AMR.

The team called for child-friendly antibiotics, clearer dosing guidelines and more research funding on safety to reduce antibiotic use.