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Periconceptional and Gestational Exposure to Antibiotics and Childhood Asthma

Shuyuan Chu1, Hongping Yu2, Yan Chen3

  • 1MOE-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200092, China; School of Public Health, Guilin Medical University, Guilin, 541004, China.

Plos One
|October 22, 2015
PubMed

Insights

Maternal antibiotic use, particularly penicillin and chloramphenicol before and during early pregnancy, is linked to a higher risk of childhood asthma. This suggests early pregnancy is a sensitive period for antibiotic exposure effects.

Area of Science:

  • Reproductive Epidemiology
  • Pediatric Allergy
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Inconsistent findings exist regarding maternal antibiotic exposure during pregnancy and childhood asthma risk.
  • Few studies have investigated the periconception period as a critical exposure window.
  • This research addresses the association between specific antibiotic exposures and early childhood asthma.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the relationship between maternal antibiotic use before and during pregnancy and the risk of asthma in early childhood.
  • To identify specific antibiotics and critical exposure periods associated with increased asthma risk.
  • To inform clinical guidelines on antibiotic prescribing during the periconception and pregnancy periods.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized data from the Collaborative Perinatal Project, including 39,907 singleton children followed up to age 7.
  • Maternal antibiotic exposure was recorded at prenatal visits.
  • Multilevel multiple logistic regression models controlled for confounders and multiple pregnancies.

Main Results:

  • Maternal penicillin and chloramphenicol use showed an increased risk of childhood asthma (aOR 1.21 and 1.72, respectively).
  • Exposure during the first trimester significantly elevated asthma risk for both penicillin (aOR 1.09) and chloramphenicol (aOR 1.23).
  • The findings highlight specific antibiotics and early pregnancy as key factors.

Conclusions:

  • Maternal exposure to certain antibiotics, including penicillin and chloramphenicol, is associated with an increased risk of childhood asthma up to age 7.
  • The first trimester of pregnancy appears to be a sensitive window for this association.
  • Further research is warranted to understand the underlying mechanisms and clinical implications.
Abstract

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