ISLAMABAD: Medical professional on Saturday have advised people against overuse of antibiotics, as it could damage vital parts of the body system in kids.

Senior child specialist Dr Akaram Durrani talking to Private news channel explained that excessive intake of antibiotics could be harmful.

Dr said taking antibiotics without prescription was wrong, adding that healthcare providers should explain to their patients why antibiotics was being given to them, in order for them not to mistake it for a regular or everyday drug.

"If I will have to estimate, I think 90 per cent of antibiotics used are unnecessary. I think there are a lot of interactions that can be done between healthcare providers and their patients. They have to spend more time with patients", he added.

He further said equal attention is needed to be paid towards prevention as well as management of the ailment with equal involvement of parents and doctors for the cause of quality survival of the kids.

Professional said many of the local parents are not aware of relevance of treatment and often resort to self medication.

He also took exception to rampant trend among many of the local GPs prescribing antibiotics to the children brought to them with diarrhea.

The expert said simple measures must be adopted to treat the condition, with major focus on hydration and that antibiotics must always be the last option, particularly in case of children.

Dehydration due to frequent episodes of watery stools is a major cause of morbidity as well as mortality among the children, he said.

Dr highlighted that diarrhea is not a disease but an emergency condition for which people are not prepared due to dearth of knowledge.

Emphasizing the importance to prevent the condition itself, he suggested need to promote culture of exclusive breast-feeding among the mothers, ensuring that no baby upto age of six months is denied of the right.

-APP