Children may be more likely to suffer from chronic illnesses like allergies, asthma, eczema and obesity if given antibiotics before the age of two, a study has warned. US researchers analysed the health records of 14,500 children and found a correlation between chronic illness and early antibiotic use. The team have speculated that the antibiotics — while used to help fight off 'bad' bacteria — can impact the beneficial microbes that make up our gut microbiome. Antibiotics are used to treat bacterial infections like urinary tract infections, but are not effective against viruses such as the common cold or coronavirus. Those babies who had received multiple courses of antibiotics were more likely to have more than one chronic condition during their childhood, the team also noted.

Source: Daily Mail November 16, 2020 11:50 UTC