'It's real, and it's happening': Antibiotic resistance in kids is rising around the world, massive study finds

A groundbreaking study reveals a concerning rise in antibiotic resistance among children across the globe, with critical antibiotics facing steep increases in resistance by 2035. Conducted by researchers from Murdoch Children's Research Institute in Australia and published in JAMA Pediatrics, the analysis looked back at the past 20 years and forward to predict future trends.

In 2021 alone, antibiotic resistance was responsible for 840,000 deaths among children under 5, and if resistance continues to escalate, that number could surge.

Dr. Yanhong Jessika Hu, a co-author of the study and clinical epidemiologist at MCRI, emphasizes that these findings are warning scenarios rather than inevitable outcomes. However, the study projects that resistance could be altered if significant action is taken. Antibiotic resistance, often dubbed a "silent pandemic," has gained attention recently but has been underrepresented in children's health crises compared to other ailments.

The study employed the Antimicrobial Testing Leadership and Surveillance database, which comprises clinical samples from children and teens aged 0 to 18 in 82 countries, collected between 2004 and 2022. The research involved over 106,000 bacterial samples, assessing which antibiotics these germs were resistant to and grouping them based on the World Health Organization's Access, Watch, Reserve (AWaRe) system.

Resistance to Access antibiotics decreased from 48% to 29% across high-income countries, while rising slightly to 47% in low-income nations. The disparity highlights the need to address resistance in low-income settings, where poor sanitation and unregulated antibiotic access compound the problem.