Antibiotics before age 2 can make kids obese – Study
Early antibiotic use has been known to spur a range of long-term health consequences. Adding to the list, researchers have confirmed that administering three or more courses of antibiotic before a toddler turns 2 may increase their risk of obesity.
“Antibiotics have been used to promote weight gain in livestock for several decades, and our research confirms that antibiotics have the same effect in humans said” lead researcher Frank Irving Scott said.
For the purpose of the study, the researchers performed a large population-representative cohort study in the United Kingdom.
The researchers specifically looked antibiotic exposure before age 2 years and its effect on obesity and weight-related problems at age 4 years.
The findings revealed that infants with had a 1.2 percent absolute and a 25 percent relative increase in the risk of early childhood obesity if they were exposed to antibiotics.
The risk was greatest when antibiotic use was repeated.
“Our work supports the theory that antibiotics may progressively alter the composition and function of the gut microbiome, thereby predisposing children to obesity as is seen in livestock and animal models,” Dr. Scott averred.
The findings of the study are published online in the current issue of the journal Gastroenterology.