Antibiotic might be one of the most amazing advances in the field of medicine. They are responsible for assisting our immune system in its fight of infection and viral attack. However like most good things too much of it can have a very dark side. What follows below will explain how exposure to high amounts of antibiotics could put your child’s joint health at risk.

The Study

Antibiotics are designed to help you not hurt you. However, a recent study has found that his might not be the case. According to a study conducted by Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences Child Health Institute of New Jersey, antibiotics might actually increase a child’s risk of developing serious juvenile joint issues.   Researchers have found that children and teens prescribed antibiotics had about twice the risk of developing juvenile arthritis compared to children the same age who were not prescribed the drugs. According to the study’s lead author Dr. Daniel Horton “This risk was greatest within a year of receiving antibiotics and increased with the number of antibiotic courses children were prescribed.” However according to Horton Antifungal and antiviral drugs did not show the same effect on children of the same age group.

Juvenile Arthritis  

Juvenile arthritis is a disease in which there is inflammation or swelling of the synovium in children ages 16 or younger. The synovium is the tissue that lines the inside of joints. Juvenile arthritis is considered to be an autoimmune disease. Much like arthritis in adults, juvenile arthritis is a painful and at times crippling problem. While medication can provide some relief, there is no actual cure for juvenile arthritis once it sets in. not only does this illness cause tremendous physical pain for a child it can also restrict them from many exercise activates causing future health issues.   To date juvenile arthritis affects between 4,300 and 9,700 children every year in the United States of America alone. Juvenile arteries main symptoms include pain and swelling in one or multiple joints. However it can also cause other symptoms such as fevers, rash and eye inflammation.

How To Prevent The Illness

While it is true that in many case antibiotics are simply necessary to relieve illness and infection, there are some steps one can take to make sure that incidences where antibiotics will be needed are severely decreased.   Eating more probiotics could help drastically improve your child’s immune system and overall health. By eating more probiotics, the body will be able to naturally assist its own immune system and fight off infectious bad bacteria that may try to harm you. The best foods to eat for increased probiotic levels include: yogurt, miso, kimchi and other fermented foods.   While it is true that antibiotics do have some negative side effects, for the most part they are very necessary in health recovery and illness prevention. Source:http://www.webmd.com/children/news/20150720/could-antibiotics-raise-a-childs-risk-for-juvenile-arthritis?page=2