Antibiotic side effects in children results in 70,000 ER visits yearly according to Consumer Reports. Here's what you need to know. Even though parents and doctors have been educated over the past 20-30 years about antibiotics, they are often overused. While they can be the miracle cure for some problems, the truth is that overusing these miracle drugs can cause reactions, destroy the normal flora in the gut and even land your child in the ER. Consumer Reports has been studying this problem and has some great advice for parents wishing to avoid an antibiotic created problems or future problems their use may cause. The information the Consumer Reports suggested was data collected by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control). Some of the reactions can be as mild as a rash or as severe as anaphylaxis resulting in breathing problems. Check out their article that is filled with useful info on how to avoid overusing antibiotics and the future problems that can potentially result. Antibiotic Side Effects in Children: What Every Parent Should Know Adverse reactions in kids lead to nearly 70,000 ER visits each year. Here's when antibiotics are necessary. By Jesse Hirsch August 23, 2018 Nearly 70,000 children end up in emergency rooms every year after experiencing adverse reactions to antibiotic drugs, according to an analysis by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published today in the Journal of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society. Most of these incidents were due to an allergy, and most were mild reactions (such as a rash), although some were more serious (such as anaphylaxis). Children under the age of 2 made up the largest share of the ER visits. There are about 74 million antibiotic prescriptions doled out to kids each year, the study notes, and past research has indicated that at least one-third of these pediatric antibiotic prescriptions are unnecessary. Read more