J Infect Dis

Antibiotic use in early childhood linked to chronic pediatric conditions

April 25, 2025

Study details: This retrospective cohort study analyzed medical records of 1,091,449 children exposed to antibiotics before age 2. Researchers examined the association between early antibiotic use and the development of chronic pediatric conditions, including asthma, food allergies, and allergic rhinitis.

Results: Antibiotic exposure before age 2 was positively associated with asthma (hazard ratio [HR] 1.24, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.22-1.26), food allergy (HR 1.33, 95% CI 1.26-1.40), and allergic rhinitis (HR 1.06, 95% CI 1.03-1.10). Stronger associations were observed with multiple antibiotic courses. Additionally, early-childhood antibiotic exposure was dose-dependently associated with intellectual disability (HR 1.73, 95% CI 1.49-2.01 for 5+ courses vs. 1-2 courses). Sibling-matched analyses confirmed these findings, suggesting minimal confounding bias. No significant associations were found with autoimmune conditions like celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease, or type 1 diabetes.

Clinical impact: Children given multiple antibiotics before age 2 are more likely to develop asthma, food allergies, allergic rhinitis, and intellectual disability. Early antibiotic exposure poses minimal risk for most autoimmune, neurodevelopmental, and psychiatric conditions. Reducing unnecessary prescriptions can lower the risk of chronic conditions.

Source:

Beier MA, et al. (2025, April 16). J Infect Dis. Early childhood antibiotics and chronic pediatric conditions: a retrospective cohort study. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40237450/