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Antibiotics in Pregnancy Increase Children's Risk of Otitis Media and Ventilation Tubes

Tine Marie Pedersen1, Jakob Stokholm1, Jonathan Thorsen2

  • 1Copenhagen Prospective Studies on Asthma in Childhood, Herlev and Gentofte Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark; Department of Pediatrics, Naestved Hospital, Naestved, Denmark.

The Journal of Pediatrics
|January 16, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Maternal antibiotic use during pregnancy increases the risk of otitis media and ventilation tube placement in children. Antibiotics, especially in the third trimester, may impact the child's microbiome, leading to these conditions.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Obstetrics
  • Microbiome research

Background:

  • Antibiotic use during pregnancy is common.
  • The impact of maternal antibiotic exposure on offspring's susceptibility to common childhood infections is not fully understood.
  • Otitis media and ventilation tube insertions are significant pediatric health concerns.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between maternal antibiotic intake during pregnancy and the incidence of otitis media and ventilation tube (VT) placement in offspring.
  • To determine if the timing of antibiotic exposure during pregnancy influences these outcomes.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized data from the Copenhagen Prospective Studies on Asthma in Childhood 2010 birth cohort.
  • Collected prospective data on maternal antibiotic use and validated with national registries.
  • Monitored otitis media episodes via diaries for 3 years and VT placements through national registries.

Main Results:

  • Maternal antibiotic use was associated with a higher risk of otitis media (aHR 1.30) and VT placement (aHR 1.60, particularly with third-trimester exposure).
  • Increased frequency of maternal antibiotic treatment correlated with a higher risk of otitis media.
  • The association between antibiotic use and VT placement was primarily driven by late-pregnancy exposure.

Conclusions:

  • Maternal antibiotic use during pregnancy is linked to an increased risk of otitis media and ventilation tube insertions in children.
  • Late-pregnancy antibiotic exposure appears to be a significant factor.
  • Findings suggest a potential role of altered maternal-fetal microbiome transmission in these outcomes.
Abstract

Keywords:
acute otitis mediainfectious diseasesrisk factors

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