Subjects:
Infectious Diseases
Topics:
doxycycline, rocky mountain spotted fever, teeth

Children are five times as likely as adults to die from tickborne diseases like Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF). Yet doctors often avoid prescribing doxycycline, the most effective RMSF treatment, for young children because the drug’s warning label cautions that tooth staining may be a side effect in children younger than 8 years.

This tick season, keep a high index of suspicion for rickettsial disease, like Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF), in children with fever and headache, especially those with rash or the potential for exposure to ticks. Doxycycline, the most effective RMSF treatment, must be prescribed early to patients of all ages, before lab results confirm infection.

A new study led by experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Indian Health Service (IHS) found that short courses of doxycycline can be used in children younger than 8 years old without staining teeth or weakening tooth...

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