Dr Gbemisola Boyede, a consultant paediatrician, has warned mothers to desist from abusing antibiotics.
Boyede told the News Agency of Nigeria on Monday in Ilorin, that over-use of antibiotics allows germs in the body develop resistance to drugs.
She explained that antibiotics resistance is an epidemic that we are not winning.
She said: “What that means is that we are playing with fire, which means death from antibiotics-resistant bugs.
“If antibiotics are used when not necessary, the bugs develop resistance to them.
“And when eventually the antibiotics are needed, they won’t work.
“We have seen so many cases, where we can’t even find any medication that works on a patient due to antibiotics resistance.”
Boyede, who is also the founder of Ask the Paediatrician Foundation, an NGO, called on parents to desist from self-medication.
She said: “I don’t know where parents especially Nigerians got the impression that once a child has symptoms, all they need to use is antibiotics and all will be well.
“The excuse they give is that we have a lot of bacteria flying around, because we live in a hot and humid environment.
“Some mothers have graduated to giving their children Augumentin and Zinnat like pure water; Ampiclox and Amoxil are now for learners, it is very bad.
“I pray that their kids do not get multi-drug-resistant bugs, because it can be fatal.”
The paediatrician also warned against the practice of giving children antibiotics on quarterly basis.
She said that antibiotics should never be used except when prescribed by a doctor, and with appropriate dosage.
Boyede advised: “Not completing the course of antibiotics treatment is also as bad as using it without prescription.”