Children who are exposed to antibiotics during their first 23 months are more likely to develop early child obesity between 24 and 59 months, according to a study in JAMA Pediatrics.
Researchers conducted a cohort study analyzing EHR data of 64,580 children from 2001 to 2013 from primary care practices affiliated with Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
They found 69 percent of children were exposed to antibiotics before turning 24 months old, with an average of 2.3 exposure episodes per child. The more often children were exposed to antibiotics in their first 23 months, the more likely they were to develop early childhood obesity. Children exposed to antibiotics at least four times before 24 months were 11 percent more likely to be obese than kids not exposed to antibiotics, according to a Reuters report discussing the study.
Additionally, researchers found the type of antibiotic may be linked to increased risk of obesity. Children who received broad-spectrum antibiotics were more likely to become obese, while those who received narrow-spectrum antibiotics did not demonstrate a correlation, according to the study.
Charles Bailey, MD, PhD, lead study of the author, told Reuters that while there is a link between antibiotics and obesity, they cannot conclude that the antibiotics are solely to blame. He said in the report antibiotics can alter some of the bacteria in the stomach, which may affect how people digest food and even, in some cases, activity pattern, all of which can contribute to obesity.
Researches suggest that narrowing antibiotic selection could reduce the risk for childhood obesity.
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