One in four parents misstate a child's symptoms to get antibiotics, study finds
By Vikram JoshiLife Balance Correspondent, Peepals Shakti
Representative image: stevepb / Pixabay
About 27% of US caregivers surveyed said they had exaggerated or made up a child's symptoms to get antibiotics, a study in JAMA Network Open published on 30 October 2026 found.
What Happened
More than a quarter of caregivers in a US survey said they had exaggerated or made up a child's symptoms to get a doctor to prescribe antibiotics, according to a study published in JAMA Network Open on Friday, 30 October 2026. In the study, 63 caregivers, or 26.7% of those who answered, reported having done so at least once. A companion survey of adults, released by University of Utah Health, found that 28% had misrepresented their own symptoms to try to get antibiotics. Most of those who misstated a child's symptoms said they went home with a prescription.
Key Facts
- 26.7% of caregivers surveyed (63 people) said they had ever misrepresented a child's symptoms to a clinician to obtain antibiotics.
- 28% of adults in a related survey said they had done the same for themselves.
- About 80% of the caregivers who misrepresented symptoms said their child was prescribed antibiotics, according to coverage of the study.
- Misrepresentation was linked to caregivers not feeling heard by clinicians and believing antibiotics were necessary.
- Greater knowledge about antibiotics, and a dislike of taking them, were linked to lower odds of misrepresentation, the authors said.
- An accompanying editorial argued that clinicians share responsibility for prescribing antibiotics when they are not needed.
Why It Matters
Antibiotics kill bacteria. They do nothing against viruses, which cause most colds, coughs, sore throats and many fevers in children. When antibiotics are used when they are not needed, two things happen. The child is exposed to side effects such as diarrhoea or allergic reactions without any benefit. And, across a whole population, bacteria have more chances to adapt and become resistant, so that the medicines stop working when they are truly needed. This antibiotic resistance is one of the major health threats identified by the World Health Organization.
The study shows how worry and frustration can push parents towards a shortcut. Caregivers who misstated symptoms often believed their child was very sick and that antibiotics were the only treatment that would work, or felt the doctor was not listening. That is an understandable reaction from a worried parent, but it can lead to a prescription the child does not need.
The findings carry a lesson for families everywhere, including in India. The safer approach is to describe a child's symptoms honestly, ask the doctor whether the illness is likely to be viral or bacterial, and ask what warning signs should prompt a return visit. Doctors, for their part, can reduce the pressure by explaining clearly why antibiotics are or are not needed.
The study has limits. It is based on what people said in a survey in the United States, it cannot prove what doctors would have prescribed without the misstatements, and habits may differ in other countries.
| Finding | Share |
|---|---|
| Caregivers who misstated a child's symptoms to get antibiotics | 26.7% |
| Adults who misstated their own symptoms | 28% |
| Misstating caregivers whose child was prescribed antibiotics | About 80% |
Impact
Short-term: The study is likely to prompt doctors and health bodies to look again at how they talk to parents about antibiotics, and to check symptoms more closely before prescribing.
Long-term: Honest conversations between parents and doctors, and better public understanding of when antibiotics help, are key to slowing antibiotic resistance, which threatens the treatment of common infections in the future.
Who is affected: Parents and caregivers of young children; paediatricians and family doctors; and public health systems trying to curb antibiotic resistance.
Key Takeaway
More than one in four US caregivers in the survey admitted misstating a child's symptoms to get antibiotics, a habit that rarely helps the child and adds to the global threat of antibiotic resistance.
Questions and Answers
What did the JAMA Network Open study on antibiotics find?
It found that 26.7% of caregivers surveyed in the US said they had exaggerated or made up a child's symptoms to get antibiotics, and about 80% of them said their child was prescribed antibiotics. The study was published on 30 October 2026.
Why do parents misstate symptoms to get antibiotics?
The study linked it to caregivers not feeling heard by clinicians and believing antibiotics were necessary, often because they thought their child was very sick.
Do children with colds need antibiotics?
Most colds, coughs and sore throats in children are caused by viruses, which antibiotics do not treat. A doctor should decide whether a bacterial infection is likely.
Why does unnecessary antibiotic use matter?
It exposes children to side effects without benefit and helps bacteria become resistant, so antibiotics may not work when they are really needed.
Disclaimer: Prepared by the Peepals newsroom from publicly available sources with AI assistance. Information is accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication and may change. Images may be representative. Not professional advice. Report an error via our contact page.
By Vikram Joshi, Life Balance CorrespondentCovers Life Balance and more for Peepals Shakti. All stories by Vikram Joshi
England's A&Es to use early warning scores to spot children getting sicker
Tarun Tahiliani closes Dubai Fashion Week on debut, eyes first store abroad
Get the day's stories in your inbox
Peepals Weekly: the week decoded, free. One email a week, unsubscribe in one click.
Vikram Joshi is a pen name of the Peepals Global Editorial Team, which researches, fact-checks and publishes every story. The portrait is an illustration.
