Your Kid Probably Doesn't Need Antibiotics

How to help everyone prevent the looming "antibiotic apocalypse"

We're looking for a new pediatrician, and, over coffee with friends, recommendations started flying. When it came out that our 14-year-old son had never taken antibiotics, the conversation stopped on a dime.

"What about for ear infections?" one said.

"Hasn't he ever had strep?" said another.

"Never?" said the third.

We were surprised—is this fact really so shocking? Granted, we have been very lucky. Our son has never been in a major accident, needed, and he got his . He's had his fair share of colds and a particularly scary case of flu, but never, not even once, required antibiotics.