Posted on 06/22/2007 1:42:08 AM PDT by neverdem
The use of antibiotics in the first year of life is associated with an increased risk for asthma at age 7, a new study has found, and the reason may be that antibiotics destroy not only disease-causing microbes, but also those that are helpful to the developing immune system.
Antibiotic use had a greater impact on children who would otherwise be considered at lower risk — children who lived in rural areas and those whose mothers did not have asthma — than on those who were already at increased risk because of an urban environment or genetic predisposition.
Studies of antibiotic use and asthma have been complicated. Because antibiotics are used to treat respiratory illnesses, which are often precursors of asthma, it has been difficult to determine the effect of antibiotics alone. But this study, of 13,116 Canadian children, found that the risk of asthma increased even in children treated with antibiotics for nonrespiratory illnesses in the first year of life. The study appears in the June issue of Chest.
Anita L. Kozyrskyj, the lead author and an associate professor of...
--snip--
The researchers tracked medications by examining prescription records, and determined asthma status by treatment for asthma or any asthma drug use in the year following the seventh birthday. Six percent of the children developed asthma by age 7.
After statistically adjusting for respiratory and nonrespiratory illnesses, sex, maternal history of asthma, urban or rural location and other factors, researchers found that one or two courses of antibiotics in the first year of life increased the risk of asthma by about 20 percent.
The more frequent the antibiotic use, the higher the risk. Three to four courses of medicine conferred a 30 percent added risk, and more than four courses of antibiotics increased the risk by almost 50 percent.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
That’s very interesting. We’ve finally avoided ear infections with our eight child by using tea-tree oil in his ears. I wish I’d known about this 15 years ago!
Some children are more susceptible to infections than others.
Yes, and this study shows one of the reasons why...
There was a study in the past year that stated the use of antibiotics in young babies to treat ear infections might actually lead to more recurrances of them. We treated the first 2 ear infections with antibiotics and then decided against it after that.
We now use garlic mullien oil in the ear when she is getting sick - to prevent the ear infection. And so far it has worked.
Now if we could just figure out how to treat the recurrent croup. . .
Find out what the harmless bacteria are that help develop the immune system and, after the antibiotic course is finished, inject these back into the kids.
I learned that one from a mother’s internet forum - La Leche League probably. Never heard it before, especially from the doctor. He just described medicated diaper rash cream. We either try to feed her yogurt or sprinkle probiotic powder in her food if we do have to give her antibiotic.
I also taught that one to my mother recently when she was on the Z-pak for pneumonia. Made a world of difference.
I think you've touched on the problem. I raised my kids in the '70's, and their pediatricians were never anxious to give them antibiotics without good cause. It was more or less common wisdom back then that overuse can lead to a compromised immune system, or an inability to fight off a more serious infection down the road.
Now I've got grandkids, and yogurt was only suggested when the 7-month-old had intestinal problems after four successive courses of antibiotics for an ear infection. When that wasn't an instant cure, the pediatrician told his mother to switch baby formulas, because the problem couldn't be the obvious one (the antibiotics). The problem got worse, then better when they switched back to the original formula.
What medical school hatches these people? And why are mothers so unwilling to do their own research when it's only a mouse-click away?
It’s dirt. Kids who grow up in dusty houses have less asthma than those who grow up in antiseptically clean households.
Might also be asociative. Infants in need of antibiotics are more likely to develop asthma
The following is a somewhat related article from CNN
"Antibiotics May Be Scrapped for Most Ear Infections."
http://www.cnn.com/2004/HEALTH/conditions/03/03/earaches.antibiotics.ap/
That’s good news for those of us who are not Martha Stewart wannabes!
Scientists Close In On Missing Carbon Sink
FReepmail me if you want on or off my health and science ping list.
Interesting. Thanks for the ping. Thanks to all health/life contributors.
I would have died without antibiotics, so, oh well. Thanks ND.
While the twins lungs are their "weak spot" - any cold, etc. goes right into a cough that seems to go on forever - none of them have "asthma" per se. Aside from hacking several times a year, they're all healthy as horses.
elc - we've had a bit of luck with this saltpipe - seems to minimize one of the girls' coughing spells if we get on it right away when she has the first sign of the sniffles
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.