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Antibiotic consumption among a Swedish cohort of children born in 2006
Jenny Hellman1, Malin Grape1, Anders Ternhag1,2
1Public Health Agency of Sweden, Solna, Sweden.
Insights
Antibiotic consumption in Swedish children peaks during their second year of life. Interventions to reduce overprescribing should target this age group for maximum impact on antimicrobial resistance.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric pharmacology
- Public health
- Infectious disease epidemiology
Background:
- Antibiotic consumption is a significant contributor to the development of antimicrobial resistance.
- Understanding pediatric antibiotic usage patterns is crucial for developing effective public health strategies.
- Previous research has highlighted the need for detailed analysis of antibiotic consumption in young children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To track antibiotic consumption in all children born in Sweden in 2006.
- To analyze monthly antibiotic use during the first two years of life.
- To assess annual antibiotic consumption from the third to fifth year of life.
Main Methods:
- A register-based, open-cohort study design was employed.
- The Swedish Prescribed Drug Register, covering the entire population, was utilized.
- Antibiotic type and purchase dates were identified for the study cohort.
Main Results:
- The cohort included 101,555 children up to one year of age.
- Antibiotic consumption was highest during the second year of life, with 51% receiving antibiotics and 24% receiving multiple treatments.
- Antibiotic consumption decreased annually after the second year of life.
Conclusions:
- Targeting interventions towards the second year of life is recommended to reduce overall antibiotic consumption in children.
- This approach is expected to have the greatest impact on curbing antibiotic overuse.
- Findings provide valuable data for antimicrobial stewardship programs in pediatric populations.
Aim:
It is important to measure antibiotic consumption because it contributes to antimicrobial resistance. Our objective was to follow all children born in 2006 in Sweden and to analyse antibiotic consumption during each month of life for the first two years and thereafter for every year during their third to fifth years of life.
Methods:
This was a register-based, open-cohort study where we used the Swedish Prescribed Drug Register, which covers the whole population, to identify the type and date of purchase of antibiotics for the children in the cohort.
Results:
During the first one-year follow-up period, 101 555 children up to one year of age were living in Sweden, of which 50 135 were boys and 49 420 were girls. Children consumed the largest amount of antibiotics during their second year of life. In our cohort, 51% received antibiotics at some point during the second year and 24% received multiple treatments. The consumption then dropped with every year of life during the follow-up.
Conclusion:
This study suggests that actions against overprescribing of antibiotics to children should be targeted towards the second year of life in order to have the greatest effect on consumption.
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