Health Alert: Black Kids Less Likely to Be Prescribed Antibiotics Than Peers

What gives?

Black children are less likely to be prescribed antibiotics than their non-black peers, according to a new study based on findings in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The study specifically regarded kids with respiratory infections. Looking at the health records of more than 200,000 children, researchers found Black children were about 25 percent less likely to receive an antibiotic. However, the findings do not necessarily mean black children are receiving worse care. Colleagues found that black children were taken to the doctors about once per year with an acute problem (such as ear, sinus and lung infections), compared to non-black children who went about twice per year. Additionally, previous studies have found that antibiotics are overprescribed to children with respiratory infections, and it's possible the larger number of non-black children getting medication is a result of unnecessary prescriptions. (Reuters)

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