My wife took our 10 month old to the doctor, cos she's been coughing a lot and is all snotty and so on – fairly normal for a baby of course but it's been going on for a long time – more or less all the time since October or so, and getting a bit worse lately.

Anyway the doc gave us a prescription for antibiotics just on the off-chance that it was an infection. I'm a bit wary of giving antib's without really knowing since they do other bad things like suppress your immune system.. am I right?

So would you give the antibs or not?

My 10 month old Daughter had an ear infection last month and we gave her a course of antibs and it cleared up really quickly and she was back on form within 36 hours (gave complete course though).

However I took her to the Doctors this morning as she has been really really under the weather the past few days and rubbing her ear. Worried as it was the same symptons as before but when the Doctor checked her over everything seemed fine and we were sent on our way.

My point being if the Doctor is concerned enough to prescribe the medication I would be inclined to take it as my impression is they don't just give them out like they used too!

Well this one does seem to be of the old school in terms of antibs like sweets… seems strange.

Anyway the doc gave us a prescription for antibiotics just on the off-chance that it was an infection. I'm a bit wary of giving antib's without really knowing since they do other bad things like suppress your immune system.. am I right?

So would you give the antibs or not?

antibiotics do not suppress the immune system. I guess you are thinking of drug resistant bugs that can develop.

I'd tend to agree with the Doc that gave the antibiotics. He examined the child after all and he has the training to understand what is happening.

You might have been given the antibiotics as a sop to the "worried well" in which case they will be low potency broad spectrum ones.

Why go to the doctors if you won't take their advice?

Christ TJ you are one critical b*stard.

I (or rather my wife) went to the doc to see what he said. Not to blindly follow his advice without putting any thought in.

As for suppressing the immune system, I was concerned about the effect of wiping out things like gut and skin fauna which have a role in the immune system. I of course realise that us administering amoxycillin in this specific case wno't have a bearing on the spread of MRSA or C Difficile in the immediate term.