Children who take antibiotics lead to chronic diseases

A shocking new study has revealed that children may be more likely to suffer from chronic diseases such as allergies, asthma, eczema and obesity if they take antibiotics before completing two years.

According to the British newspaper “Daily Mail”, American researchers analyzed the medical records of 14,500 children and found a relationship between chronic diseases and early use of antibiotics.

The team concluded that antibiotics, which are used to help fight harmful bacteria, can affect the beneficial microbes that make up the gut microbiome.

Allergies, the most common chronic disease among children, affect more than a quarter of all children in the UK at some point in their lives.

Antibiotics are used to treat bacterial infections such as urinary tract infections, but they are not effective against viruses such as the common cold or coronavirus.

Study author Nathan Libertur of the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota analyzed the medical records of more than 1,500 children, 70 percent of whom had been treated with antibiotics before age two.

The team found that children who took antibiotics before age two appeared to be more likely to develop chronic diseases, including asthma, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, digestive upset, eczema, food allergies, obesity and weight disorders.

“The study shows a relationship between taking antibiotics before reaching age two and chronic health ailments such as allergies, asthma, eczema and obesity,” Liberathur said.

He stressed that “the study findings provide an opportunity to direct future research to define a more reliable and safer approach to timing, age and types of antibiotics for children in this age group.”