Antibiotic Use Increases Childhood Asthma Risk
Updated July 2007: A Canadian study, published in Journal Watch Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, found that antibiotic use early in life can increase the risk for asthma. When investigators compared children who received antibiotics during their first year with children who did not there was a significant difference in asthma occurrence. Kids who took antibiotics in their first year were 1.2 times more likely to have asthma than were kids who did not for 1-2 doses of antibiotics, 1.41 times more likely for 3-4 doses, and 1.74 times more likely for more than 4 doses.
The association between antibiotics and asthma increased for children who lived in rural areas, for children whose mothers had asthma, for kids who did not have a dog at home their first year, and for children who received multiple doses of antibiotics. Children who received antibiotics for nonrespiratory infections were twice as likely to have acquired asthma by the age of 7 as children who did not use antibiotics.
This study confirms earlier studies that found a link between antibiotic use and asthma. The authors of the study recommend that parents should avoid unnecessary use of antibiotics for their children, especially antibiotics with broad-spectrum agents.