A major international study has laid bare the growing threat of antibiotic resistance in childhood infections. Published online on 20 July 2026 in JAMA Pediatrics, the analysis draws on data collected between 2004 and 2022 from 82 countries and more than 106000 infection samples in children up to the age of 18.
Resistance rose in every region examined. The increases were driven largely by Gram-negative bacteria such as Acinetobacter baumannii and Klebsiella, organisms responsible for serious conditions including sepsis and pneumonia. The impact fell most heavily on babies, children in intensive care units, and those living in settings with fewer healthcare resources.
Rising resistance to first- and now second-line drugs is the clinical reality for children.
Penelope Bryant, a paediatric infectious diseases specialist at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, described the situation with sobering clarity. Her words capture the shift that clinicians now face daily.
The study also recorded sharp rises in resistance to antibiotics classed by the World Health Organisation as Watch and Reserve drugs, the very medicines kept for harder-to-treat cases. Projections extending to 2035 suggest carbapenem resistance could climb as high as 82 percent in some settings, with certain superbugs reaching 35 percent.
Clearer picture for a global problem
Yanhong Jessika Hu, another researcher involved in the work, noted the previous gap in understanding.
Antimicrobial resistance is one of the biggest threats to children’s health globally, but until now we haven’t had a clear picture of how it’s changing specifically in children.
The research was led by Australia’s Murdoch Children’s Research Institute in partnership with the University of Sydney, the Clinton Health Access Initiative, and The Chinese University of Hong Kong. An accompanying platform, AMR in Kids, now offers additional data and forecasts drawn from the same effort.
