The kind of medicines a child is exposed during the first few months after birth can have bearing on whether he/she will put on unnecessary weight later.
According to a new study, giving antibiotic to infants before six months may put them at a higher risk of becoming overweight by 38 months of age.
Researchers from New York University School of Medicine and NYU Wagner School of Public Service looked at more than 11,000 children as part of the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) for analyzing the link between consumption of antibiotics and obesity.
According to different stages of growth, three groups were formed: birth to five months, six months to 14 months and 15 to 23 months. Weight or body mass of the children were recorded at six weeks, 10 months, 20 months, 38 months and seven years of age.
At the end of the study, researchers Leonardo Trasande and Jan Blustein found young infants who were exposed to antibiotics during first six months after birth, 22 percent were likely to gain unnecessary weight after two years. However, having antibiotics between six and 14 months did not seem to have any negative impact.
"We typically consider obesity an epidemic grounded in unhealthy diet and exercise, yet increasingly studies suggest it's more complicated," Dr. Trasande, associate professor of pediatrics and environmental medicine, said in a statement. "Microbes in our intestines may play critical roles in how we absorb calories, and exposure to antibiotics, especially early in life, may kill off healthy bacteria that influence how we absorb nutrients into our bodies, and would otherwise keep us lean."
However, the investigators recommend further studies to reconfirm the findings.
"For many years now, farmers have known that antibiotics are great at producing heavier cows for market," said Dr. Blustein, professor of population health and medicine. "While we need more research to confirm our findings, this carefully conducted study suggests that antibiotics influence weight gain in humans, and especially children too."
Findings of the study have been published in the online Aug. 21 issue of International Journal of Obesity.
