Antibiotic consumption among a Swedish cohort of children born in 2006

Aim: It is important to measure antibiotic consumption because it contributes to antimicrobial resistance. Our objective was to follow all children born in 2006 in Sweden and to analyse antibiotic consumption during each month of life for the first two years and thereafter for every year during their third to fifth years of life. Methods: This was a register-based, open-cohort study where we used the Swedish Prescribed Drug Register, which covers the whole population, to identify the type and date of purchase of antibiotics for the children in the cohort. Results: During the first one-year follow-up period, 101 555 children up to one year of age were living in Sweden, of which 50 135 were boys and 49 420 were girls. Children consumed the largest amount of antibiotics during their second year of life. In our cohort, 51% received antibiotics at some point during the second year and 24% received multiple treatments. The consumption then dropped with every year of life during the follow-up. Conclusion: This study suggests that actions against overprescribing of antibiotics to children should be targeted towards the second year of life in order to have the greatest effect on consumption.