Published: Less than 10 min ago
Children who are treated with antibiotics have a higher risk of developing asthma and eczema, shows a new Swedish study.
In the study, the researchers looked at children who received antibiotics during the first 18 months of their lives and compared them with children who did not receive antibiotics. Just over 1,300 families in the Västerbotten region were included in the study.
The researchers saw a clear connection between antibiotic treatment and wheezing and asthma. However, the relationship for eczema after antibiotic treatment was not as clear.
“This underlines the importance that antibiotics should only be prescribed when there is an indication of a severe bacterial infection,” says Christina West, head of asthma and allergy research in the Northpop study, in a press release.
Antibiotics probably knock out beneficial bacteria in the stomach and intestines. This, in turn, affects the immune system and increases susceptibility to asthma and eczema.
“Our previous research shows that the bacterial composition in the gastrointestinal tract is of great importance for the risk of contracting allergic diseases, so it is likely that this is the explanation, because antibiotics also kill many beneficial bacteria,” says Christina West in the press release.
The study, which is part of the research project Northpop, is published in the scientific journal Pediatric Allergy and Immunology.