Itchy Effects

A new study confirms that side effects of antibiotics are relatively uncommon but some drugs do cause rashes in children more than others. Evaluating 6000 patient charts in a large paediatric practice, doctors found that rashes occurred in eight percent of children who were given commonly used oral antibiotics such as penicillin, sulfonamides, cefaclor and other cephalosporins.

More rashes were attributed to the oral antibiotic cefaclor than with anyother antibiotic, with 12 percent breaking out in rash, compared to seven percent of those taking penicillin, nine percent of those taking sulfonamides and three percent of those taking other cephalosporins.