Antibiotics that fight deadly infections in babies are losing their power

The above illustration depicts a molecular model for a carbapenem drug. The carbapenem group of antibiotics is the last resort for antibiotic-resistant infections and is approved for children. But carbapenems are not widely used because they're expensive, they're administered by IV — and doctors are concerned that bacteria could develop resistance to these antibiotics. (Kateryna Kon/Science Photo Library /Getty Images)

The drugs aren't working as well as they used to.

That's the sobering takeaway from new research published in The Lancet Regional Health – Southeast Asia last week: The most commonly prescribed antibiotics in Southeast Asia are now only 50% effective at treating sepsis and meningitis in newborns.