"Long-term adverse effects": This drug can cause asthma and allergies in children
Allergies and asthma are among the most common chronic illnesses in children, affecting 20% and 10% of them, respectively. These illnesses are linked, as many asthmatics also have allergies. Aside from favorable genetic predispositions and environmental factors, allergies and asthma may also be triggered by medication.
American researchers recently studied the health data of more than one million English children, whose drug exposures and chronic disease diagnoses were known. They observed that "children who received multiple antibiotic treatments between birth and age 2 were more likely to develop" several chronic diseases several years later, they reported in the Journal of Infectious Diseases .
Researchers have observed an association between antibiotic use and asthma and food allergies. They point out that antibiotics, which are very frequently prescribed to children, "can disrupt the digestive microbiota," which "could contribute to the onset" of diseases. Indeed, it is increasingly established that the microbiota has a major impact on health.
The American scientists believe that "despite the significant benefits of antibiotics, this study contributes to the growing body of evidence on the long-term adverse effects of early-life antibiotic exposure, highlighting the need for judicious use of antibiotics in infancy and early childhood." Parents are strongly advised not to give antibiotics to their children unless prescribed by a healthcare professional.
Previous studies have already observed a link between childhood antibiotic use and the development of diseases, including asthma and allergies. A 2022 analysis of 160 studies on the subject concluded that "antibiotic exposure was associated with an increased risk of allergic symptoms, including food allergies and asthma."
But these various studies have yielded "inconsistent results," leaving "uncertainty about the validity of existing evidence," according to the American researchers. Even if their study suggests—like several others—an association between antibiotics and chronic diseases, further research will be needed to truly establish a cause-and-effect link.
L'Internaute
