About the project
Respiratory tract infections represent the most frequent cause why general practitioners prescribe antibiotics. Pregnant women and young children are two challenging groups of patients to treat. Today’s guidelines are limited when it comes to antibiotics during pregnancy and dosage adjustments. Children of mothers with frequent use of antibiotics in pregnancy and an increased doctor-seeking behaviour are prescribed antibiotics more often than other children. Studies also suggest increased wheezing in children exposed to prenatal antibiotics. Do an excess of respiratory tract infections and antibiotics during pregnancy increases these children’s frequency of antibiotic prescriptions and respiratory tract infections in their first two years of life? Is there a link between prenatal exposure to antibiotics and the occurrence of certain respiratory diagnoses like cough, asthma and bronchiolitis?
Using data from a Norwegian prescription peer academic detailing (Rx-PAD) study, KTV, which includes more than 400 000 consultations per year from 2005 till 2009, linked with data from the Medical Birth Registry of Norway, MFR and the Norwegian Prescription Database, NorPD, we hope to contribute to an increased knowledge about the treatment of RTIs in children and during pregnancy in Norwegian general practice
Objectives
The main objective is to investigate the rate of antibiotic prescriptions in respiratory tract infections in children and during pregnancy. Further to investigate the possible effect of antibiotic use during pregnancy on RTIs and antibiotics and respiratory drug prescriptions in children the first two years after birth.
Specific study objectives:
- Freqency of RTIs and antibiotic prescriptions in pre-school children, and proportion of broad-spectrum antibiotics used.
- Prescription patterns during pregnancy compared with not pregnant patients with regards to antibiotics and respiratory medication.
- Antibiotics and respiratory medication in children aged 0-2 yrs: are they influenced by the mother’s use of antibiotics during pregnancy?
Financing
- The Antibiotic Centre for Primary Care