• Publication Date: 08/01/2020
  • Article Type: Back Page
  • Subjects: Respiratory Medicine
A study of nearly 800,000 children found that infants who were given antibiotics had an increased risk of developing allergies (such as food allergies), asthma or dermatitis as children. A causative relationship was not found and more research is needed to determine the nature of the association.

Published in JAMA Pediatrics and reported by CNN, a study of nearly 800,000 children found that infants who were given antibiotics—penicillin, cephalosporin, sulfonamide or macrolide—had an increased risk of developing allergies (such as food allergies), asthma or dermatitis as children. A causative relationship was not found and more research is needed to determine the nature of the association. A spokesperson for the Allergy and Asthma Network (which was not involved in the study) noted that “If a child truly needs an antibiotic for a bacterial infection, [parents] should not withhold it due to fear of allergic disease. However, on that same note, one should not over use antibiotics if not needed—for a virus or a cold—as there may be long-term consequences from over use.”

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