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Early Antibiotic Exposure and Weight Outcomes in Young Children

Jason P Block1, L Charles Bailey2, Matthew W Gillman3,4

  • 1Division of Chronic Disease Research Across the Lifecourse, Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute and jblock1@partners.org.

Pediatrics
|November 2, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Early antibiotic exposure in children is linked to increased body weight by age five. This study highlights a small but significant association between antibiotic use before 24 months and higher BMI z-scores and overweight/obesity prevalence at age five.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Health
  • Clinical Research
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Antibiotic use in early childhood is common.
  • Concerns exist regarding potential long-term health effects of early antibiotic exposure.
  • Understanding the relationship between antibiotic use and weight outcomes is crucial for public health.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between antibiotic use in children younger than 24 months and their weight outcomes at age five.
  • To analyze the impact of antibiotic spectrum and age at exposure on weight.
  • To include children with and without complex chronic conditions in the analysis.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized health care data from 35 institutions (2009-2016) within the National Patient-Centered Clinical Research Network.
  • Included children with same-day height and weight measurements at 0-<12, 12-<30, and 48-<72 months of age.
  • Assessed the association between antibiotic use before 24 months and BMI z-score and overweight/obesity at 48-<72 months, using adjusted models.

Main Results:

  • A cohort of 362,550 children was analyzed, with 58% receiving at least one antibiotic prescription before 24 months.
  • At age five, 28% of children were overweight or obese.
  • Antibiotic use before 24 months was associated with a 0.04 higher mean BMI z-score and a 1.05 odds ratio for overweight/obesity in children without complex chronic conditions.

Conclusions:

  • Antibiotic use before 24 months of age is associated with a slightly higher body weight at age five.
  • The findings suggest a potential link between early antibiotic exposure and childhood weight gain.
  • Further research may explore mechanisms and clinical implications of this association.

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