Antibiotics that fight deadly infections in babies are losing their power
New research finds that the most commonly prescribed antibiotics in Southeast Asia are only 50% effective at treating sepsis and meningitis in newborns. It's a cause for global concern.
The drugs aren't working as well as they used to.
That's the sobering takeaway from new research published in The Lancet Regional Health – Southeast Asia last week: The most commonly prescribed antibiotics in Southeast Asia are now only 50% effective at treating sepsis and meningitis in newborns.
And that's a serious setback. Sepsis kills 1 in 5 patients. Meningitis is responsible for a quarter of million deaths a year – half among children under the age of 5. Overall, childhood infections are responsible for over 550,000 deaths each year.
Why aren't the drugs doing their job? It's because overuse of those
