What repetitive use of antibiotics can do with your child’s health

Antibiotics have long been hailed as life -saving drugs, helping the body to fight everything from mild colds to life -threatening infections, such as pneumonia. However, scientists now warn that repeated use of antibiotics, especially in early childhood, can cost.

In a new study published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases, researchers tried to examine how antibiotics can be associated with the development of chronic diseases in children. To do this, they analyzed medical records from over a million children in Great Britain, following the diagnosis of various long -term pediatric conditions up to 12 years of age.

Scientists have found that frequent exposure to antibiotics in children can disturb the delicate balance of intestinal microorganisms, preparing the ground for a number of allergic conditions in later life, including asthma, food allergies and hay fever. The study also reported a relationship between the use of antibiotics and the risk of intellectual disability, but scientists warned that further research is needed to confirm these connections.

“Antibiotics play a key role in combating bacterial infections, but doctors should be reasonable by prescribing antibiotics of children under 2 years of age, because frequent use may affect long-term health results,” said Daniel Horton, the main author of the study in A W A press release.

However, the study also showed that not all pediatric diseases were associated with the use of antibiotics. For example, there was no significant relationship between antibiotics and the risk of developing autoimmune diseases such as celiac disease, intestinal inflammatory disease or youthful idiopathic arthritis. Similarly, scientists did not find any strong connections with neurodevelopmental diseases such as attention/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or an autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

It was also found that the relationship between the use of antibiotics and health risk depended on courses, which means more antibiotic courses, the more risk. Even when comparing siblings, in which one took antibiotics early and the other was not similar, which makes the results more credible.

“Antibiotics are important and sometimes saving drugs, but not all infections in young children must be treated with antibiotics. Parents should continue to consult their children’s doctors in the field of the best medical school and Rutgers, who is also a professor of pediatric and epidemiology care at Rutgers Robert Wood Medical School and Rutgers.