Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 1, 2025

Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction-based Analyses of Murine Intestinal Microbiota After Oral Antibiotic Treatment
08:33

Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction-based Analyses of Murine Intestinal Microbiota After Oral Antibiotic Treatment

Published on: November 17, 2018

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Less is more: Antibiotics at the beginning of life

Martin Stocker1, Claus Klingenberg2,3, Lars Navér4,5

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital Lucerne, Lucerne, Switzerland. martin.stocker@luks.ch.

Nature Communications
|April 27, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Early antibiotic use can cause antimicrobial resistance and disrupt the infant microbiome, increasing long-term disease risk. A factual approach is needed to balance antibiotic stewardship with effective neonatal sepsis management.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal care
  • Microbiome research
  • Antimicrobial stewardship

Background:

  • Early-life antibiotic exposure is linked to increased antimicrobial resistance.
  • Disruption of the developing microbiome in infancy elevates risks for chronic diseases.
  • The fear of undetected neonatal sepsis often drives antibiotic overtreatment.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To advocate for a data-driven strategy in neonatal antibiotic prescribing.
  • To balance the critical need for effective sepsis management with prudent antimicrobial stewardship.
  • To address bias and noise in clinical decision-making regarding neonatal infections.

Main Methods:

  • This perspective paper analyzes the interplay between treatment burden and disease burden.
  • It reviews current practices in neonatal antibiotic use.
  • It proposes a framework for evidence-based decision-making.

Main Results:

  • Overtreatment of neonatal sepsis is driven by fear and cognitive biases.
  • Current practices may lead to suboptimal antimicrobial stewardship.
  • A quantitative approach can improve treatment decisions.

Conclusions:

  • A shift towards a factual, evidence-based approach is crucial for neonatal care.
  • Balancing effective sepsis treatment with antimicrobial stewardship is achievable.
  • Quantifying treatment and disease burdens can optimize antibiotic use in neonates.

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