What are the possible benefits and risks of taking part?

Azithromycin is used widely for the treatment of childhood infection. Children who are given azithromycin may benefit from having fewer chest infections.

There are very few side effects expected with azithromycin, though some children may get mild diarrhoea, stomach pains, and may feel sick (nausea) or be sick (vomit) when they first start taking azithromycin. Other side effects may include headache and feeling dizzy. There is a small chance that azithromycin may cause a rash, or hearing problems.

For children who are given the placebo, there would be no higher risk of side effects than taking antibiotics.

If you would like your child to take part but they are already taking antibiotics to prevent them getting chest infections, then they would need to stop their antibiotics 13 weeks before entry onto the trial. This would be in consultation with the paediatrician managing your child’s respiratory symptoms. It is possible that during this period their respiratory symptoms might worsen.

We hope that the results from the trial will help doctors and patients in the future when making decisions about treatment.