Parents in Kangundo Sub-County have been warned against administering antibiotics to their toddlers without prescriptions from professional medics.
Speaking in her office on Monday, Kangundo Level Four Hospital superintendent, Dr Supa Tunje said parents normally administer antibiotics to toddlers to treat cold related illnesses and infections.
The doctor said that since most antibiotics given to children cure upper respiration infections associated with cold, parents usually expose their children to an overdose of the drugs.
Dr Tunje said that some parents play the role of doctors in their children's life not knowing the danger they are putting their kids in.
She said that such actions put children at risk of developing resistance to the drugs and make them susceptible to several infections which are caused by a bacteria found in the human gut, which can also affect the digestive system.
“When parents get the wrong prescription on antibiotics, they put their children at risk of developing infections like Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) and dangerous antibiotic resistant infection,” said Dr Tunje.
She asked parents to desist from buying medicine over the counter noting that there is need for reduction of broad spectrum antibiotics.