Just read this article from
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2003/10/031001064200.htm
I'm not sure what to make of this-given that statistically there would have
been a higher incidence of infection in a formula feeding sample of children
I am not surprised that more antiobiotics = higher risk of allergies and
asthma.
Its interesting that they only differentiated breastfed children when there
appeared to be a positive risk of increasing allergy with breastfeeding.
Source:
Henry Ford Health System
Date:
2003-10-01
Study Shows Link Between Antibiotics And Allergies, Asthma
Children who receive antibiotics within their first six months of birth
increase their risk of developing by age 7 allergies to pets, ragweed, grass
and dust mites and asthma, according to study conducted at Henry Ford
Hospital in Detroit.
However, they are less susceptible to these effects if they live with at
least two pets, namely dogs or cats, in the first year.
Researchers also say breast-feeding and a mother's history of allergies add
to the risks of allergy for a child taking antibiotics.
The study's findings are believed to be the first of its kind in the United
States that found a link between antibiotics and allergies and asthma in
children.
Christine Cole Johnson, Ph.D., the study's lead author and senior research
epidemiologist for Henry Ford's Department of Biostatistics & Research
Epidemiology, will present the study Sept. 30 at the European Respiratory
Society's annual conference in Vienna.
"I'm not suggesting children shouldn't receive antibiotics. But I believe we
need to be more prudent in prescribing them for children at such an early
age," Dr. Johnson says. "In the past, many of them were prescribed
unnecessarily, especially for viral infections like colds and the flu when
they would have no effect anyway."
Dr. Johnson theorizes that use of antibiotics may affect the
gastrointestinal tract and alter the development of a child's immune system.
The increasing use of antibiotics in children from 1977 to the early 1990s
led to what federal health officials called a public health crisis in
antibiotic resistance. A national campaign commissioned by the U.S. Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention has sought to promote a more judicious
approach for prescribing antibiotics for children.
For the Henry Ford study, researchers followed 448 children from birth to
seven years. The children were evenly divided by gender.
Data was collected prenatally and at the first four birthdays until the
children were 6 and 7 years old, when they underwent a clinical evaluation
by a board-certified allergist. The data included information about all
prescribed oral antibiotics; blood tests that measure the antibody
(immunoglobulin E) that causes allergies; and skin reaction tests that show
whether a person is hypersensitive to an allergen. Researchers also
collected data on all clinical visits and made home visits to collect
environmental samples.
Of the 448 children, 49 percent had received antibiotics in the first six
months of life. The most common antibiotic category prescribed was
penicillin.
Among the findings:
* By age 7, children given at least one antibiotic in the first six months
were 1.5 times more likely to develop allergies than those who did not
receive antibiotics. They were 2.5 times more likely to develop asthma.
* By age 7, children given at least one antibiotic in the first six months
and who lived with fewer than two pets were 1.7 times more likely to develop
allergies, and three times more likely to develop asthma.
* By age 7, children given at least one antibiotic in the first six months
and whose mother had a history of allergies were nearly twice as likely to
develop allergies.
* By age 7, children given at least one antibiotic in the first six months
and who were breast-fed for more than four months were three times more
likely to develop allergies. However, breast-feeding did not influence the
risk between antibiotics and asthma.
Editor's Note: The original news release can be found here.
This story has been adapted from a news release issued by Henry Ford Health
System.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Meg Kingsley IBCLC
Cooridinator, Mother to Mother Breastfeeding Support Group. Dubai UAE
E-Mail : [log in to unmask]
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