Broad-Spectrum Antibiotic Treatment and Subsequent Childhood Type 1 Diabetes: A Nationwide Danish Cohort Study

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Tine D Clausen1, Thomas Bergholt2, Olivier Bouaziz3,4

  • 1Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Nordsjællands Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Hillerød, Denmark.

Plos One
|August 26, 2016
PubMed

Insights

Broad-spectrum antibiotic use in infancy increases type 1 diabetes risk, especially for cesarean-delivered infants. This finding highlights the impact of early-life antibiotic exposure on childhood disease development.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Endocrinology
  • Microbiome Research
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Antibiotic use and cesarean delivery alter the gut microbiome, potentially increasing chronic disease risk.
  • Early-life antibiotic exposure is a growing concern for childhood health outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between broad-spectrum antibiotic use in the first two years of life and the risk of childhood type 1 diabetes.
  • To determine if the mode of delivery modifies this association.

Main Methods:

  • Danish nationwide cohort study (1997-2010) of 858,201 singletons.
  • Antibiotic prescriptions classified as narrow- or broad-spectrum.
  • Cox regression analysis to assess type 1 diabetes risk up to age 15.

Main Results:

  • Broad-spectrum antibiotic use was linked to a higher rate of type 1 diabetes (HR 1.13).
  • This association was significant for cesarean-delivered infants (intrapartum HR 1.70; prelabor HR 1.63).
  • No increased risk was observed in vaginally delivered children.

Conclusions:

  • Infant broad-spectrum antibiotic use is associated with increased childhood type 1 diabetes risk.
  • Cesarean delivery significantly modifies this risk, amplifying the association.
Abstract

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