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Infant antibiotic exposure and the development of childhood overweight and central adiposity

M B Azad1, S L Bridgman2, A B Becker3

  • 11] Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada [2] Pediatrics and Child Health, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada [3] Manitoba Institute of Child Health, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

International Journal of Obesity (2005)
|July 12, 2014
PubMed

Insights

Early-life antibiotic exposure is linked to increased childhood overweight and adiposity, particularly in boys. This highlights the importance of judicious antibiotic use in infancy to potentially mitigate long-term health risks.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Health
  • Microbiome Research
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Childhood obesity is a growing epidemic.
  • Gut microbiota established in infancy is vulnerable to antibiotic disruption.
  • Antibiotic use in early life may impact long-term health outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the association between antibiotic exposure in the first year of life and the development of overweight and central adiposity.
  • To investigate potential gender-specific differences in this association.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized Canadian longitudinal birth cohort data linked with provincial health records.
  • Documented antibiotic exposure during infancy from prescription records.
  • Assessed overweight and central adiposity using anthropometric measurements at ages 9 and 12.
  • Employed multiple logistic regression for association analysis.

Main Results:

  • Infants exposed to antibiotics in the first year were more likely to be overweight by age 12 (32.4% vs. 18.2%).
  • This association persisted in boys after adjusting for confounders (aOR 5.35), but not in girls (aOR 1.13).
  • Gender-specific associations were observed for overweight and central adiposity at ages 9 and 12.

Conclusions:

  • Antibiotic exposure in infancy is associated with increased risk of overweight and central adiposity in preadolescent boys.
  • Antibiotic stewardship during infancy is crucial.
  • Further research is needed to understand mechanisms, long-term consequences, and mitigation strategies.
Abstract

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