Antibiotics Might Increase Risk of Childhood Asthma, Allergies

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Overuse of antibiotics might increase kids’ risk of developing asthma and allergies, by disrupting their gut bacteria during a crucial stage of child development, a new study says.

Exposure to antibiotics prior to age 2 is associated with a 24% increased risk of asthma and 33% increased risk of food allergies in later childhood, researchers reported recently in the Journal of Infectious Diseases.

“Antibiotics play a critical role in combatting bacterial infections, but physicians should be judicious when prescribing antibiotics to children under 2, as frequent use may affect long-term health outcomes,” lead researcher Dr. Daniel Horton of the Rutgers Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and Aging Research said in a news release.

For the study, researchers tracked the health of more than 1 million children in the U.K., comparing early antibiotic treatment to their later risk of allergies and asthma.

Previous research has suggested that early and repeated antibiotic use can disrupt the development of health gut bacteria as a child ages, researchers said in background notes. This, in turn, can influence their risk of allergic conditions.

Tracking the children through age 12, researchers found they were at higher risk of asthma and food allergies if they’d been exposed to antibiotics as babies.

Babies given antibiotics also had a 6% increased risk of seasonal allergies, researchers said.

“Antibiotics are important and sometimes life-saving medicines, but not all infections in young kids need to be treated with antibiotics,” Horton said. “Parents should continue to consult with their children’s doctors on the best course of care.”

However, researchers found no consistent impact from antibiotic use on the risk of autoimmune diseases like celiac disease or inflammatory bowel disease, or on developmental conditions like ADHD or autism.

More information

Nemours Children’s Health has more on antibiotic overuse and children.

SOURCE: Rutgers University, news release, April 16, 2025

Source: HealthDay

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