Prescribed before 2 years, antibiotics are not necessarily beneficial. Their use is associated with an increased risk of obesity at 5 years, according to a recent study.
Prescribing antibiotics in toddlers is not without impact on their later health. According to a study published in the JAMA Pediatrics, exposure before 2 years to these drugs is associated with an increased risk of obesity between 2 and 5 years. However, this is only one risk factor among many others, underline its authors.
16% increased risk
These conclusions are the result of a study carried out between 2001 and 2013 with more than 64,500 children, followed from their birth to their 5 years. The team analyzed their electronic medical records for two things: prescriptions for antibiotics before 24 months, and BMI between 24 and 59 months. The children treated suffered from wheezing, asthma, bronchiolitis, croup (viral infection that causes swelling of the throat and vocal cords, Editor’s note) or pharyngitis.
69% of babies received antibiotics before 2 years old. On average, 2.3 episodes occurred for each of them in the meantime. And this exposure is associated with a risk of obesity, the researchers conclude. Prescribing these drugs early is linked to an 11% increased risk of obesity at 5 years. When prescribed antibiotics are broad spectrum, this danger increases by 16%. This is particularly the case when the children have received such products at least 4 times. Narrow-spectrum specialties, used first-line, are not, however, associated with increased risk.
A high risk period?
“Because the first 24 months of life include major changes in the diet, growth and establishment of the gut microbiota, this interval may represent a window of particular sensitivity to the effects of antibiotics”, conclude the authors of the ‘study. “We assume that repeated use of antibiotics can have an impact on the intestinal flora. “
It should not be forgotten, however, that obesity is a disease that depends on several factors, especially in children, stress the researchers. The mother’s BMI before pregnancy, the child’s nutritional intake, physical activity and duration of sleep influence the risk. Antibiotics alone cannot be held responsible.
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