Doctors usually prescribe antibiotics to babies, but it may lead to an increased risk of allergies later in childhood. It is possible because the medications given to them can affect an infant's gut bacteria, according to a newly published research paper.
The research was published in the JAMA Pediatrics. It found that babies who were given antibiotics like sulfonamide, macrolide, penicillin, and cephalosporin, had a greater chance of developing allergies like asthma, food allergies or dermatitis.
The link between allergies and antibiotics.
While the research paper found a connection between allergic diseases and antibiotics, more research is needed to know if there is a casual relationship. Dr. Cade Nylund, a pediatrician and pediatric gastroenterologist at the Uniformed Services University in Maryland and an author of the research said that he was surprised to see a link of all kinds of antibiotics with the development of allergic disease in childhood.
He also said that they have demonstrated that not only are antibiotics associated with an increased risk of allergic disease but that there is an increased risk linked with the prescription of multiple classes of antibiotics.
Limiting the unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions for viral infections like the common cold may be a step towards preventing the development of the allergic disease.
Reactions to penicillin
The research involved analyzing the medical records of 798,426 children who were beneficiaries in the Department of Defense TRICARE health care program and those who were born between 2001 and 2013. The researchers examined which children had been given prescriptions for penicillin, penicillin with B-lactamase inhibitor, sulfonamide, cephalosporin or macrolide within the first six months of life.
The researchers also examined which kids were later diagnosed with allergy-like anaphylaxis, food allergy, asthma, dermatitis, atopic, allergic rhinitis, allergic conjunctivitis or contact dermatitis.
The researchers found that the antibiotics they assessed were associated with increased risks for a subsequent diagnosis of allergic disease. This risk was lowest for sulfonamides and highest for penicillin. Nylund stated that being prescribed an antibiotic can increase the risk of development of allergic disease later in life, anywhere from 8% for food allergy to 47% for the development of asthma.
The study had some limitations though, stating that the research found a link but not a causal relationship. So, it could be that infants at increased risk of developing allergic disease also may be more susceptible to bacterial infections needing antibiotics. More research is needed to know the nature of the link that was found.
Dr. Purvi Parikh, an allergist, an immunologist at NYU Langone Health in New York and a spokesperson for the Allergy and Asthma Network, who was not involved in the new research said that we should be careful in stressing this as an association and not a cause and effect relationship.
One reason why there might be an association is that our microbiomes, specifically in our gut, play a large role in our immune systems. Antibiotics are known to not only kill the bacteria that are causing an infection but also good bacteria that our immune system needs to protect us from developing allergic or autoimmune diseases.
She also stated that the study is very helpful in the sense that it further affirms everything that we know about antibiotic use being associated with microbiome changes, which may lead to various immune diseases such as allergic conditions.
Overall, parents should know this study shows a link but not necessarily cause and effect. So, if a child needs an antibiotic for a bacterial infection, they should not withhold it due to fear of allergic disease. She also said that on the same note, one should not overuse antibiotics if not needed, for a cold or virus, as there may be long-term consequences for overuse.
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