TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Wu Chang-teng (吳昌騰), a pediatrician at Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, warned that adult medications should never be given to children because their underdeveloped physiological systems process medications very differently from adults, CNA reported.

Wu said that medications for children must be dosed based on body weight. He said that some parents mistakenly give their medication to children. 

However, certain drugs for adults may cause adverse reactions in children, including skin rashes, respiratory depression, intestinal obstruction, seizures, and irregular heart rhythms, Wu added.

Wu added that children are more vulnerable to bacterial infections and that antibiotics should only be used under a doctor’s guidance. He said that antibiotics are necessary for conditions like middle ear infections, bacterial pneumonia, urinary tract infections, and cellulitis. However, common cold symptoms such as coughing, runny nose, and mild fever are typically caused by viruses and do not require antibiotics.

Food and Drug Administration Deputy Director-General Wang Te-yuan (王德原) said that from 2020 up until June, Taiwan recorded 2,354 reports of adverse reactions to antibiotics, accounting for 3.6% of all drug-related adverse event reports. 

Among these antibiotic-related reports, 154 cases involved children under the age of 12. Nearly 70% of these children experienced skin reactions, 13.1% showed gastrointestinal symptoms, and 3.4% reported respiratory issues.

To combat antibiotic resistance, the health and agricultural ministries launched a new management initiative this year. The plan includes enhanced monitoring of antibiotic production and usage by the health ministry. Meanwhile, the agriculture ministry will promote alternatives to antibiotics for livestock to reduce their use on farms.