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Exposure to prescribed medication in early life and impacts on gut microbiota and disease development

Huan Huang1,2, Jiayin Jiang1, Xinyu Wang1

  • 1Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, General Hospital, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin Institute of Digestive Diseases, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Digestive Diseases, Tianjin, China.

Eclinicalmedicine
|February 5, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Early-life medication exposure can disrupt infant gut microbiota development, impacting long-term health. This review explores interventions like probiotics and dietary therapy to mitigate these effects.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Developmental Biology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • The gut microbiota is critical for infant development, metabolism, and immunity.
  • Early-life pharmaceutical exposure can alter gut microbiota structure and function.
  • These alterations may negatively impact later health outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the establishment of healthy gut microbiota in early life.
  • To summarize common early-life medications and their impact on gut microbiota.
  • To discuss disease pathways linked to medication-induced microbiota changes.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of early-life gut microbiota establishment.
  • Summary of commonly prescribed medications during pregnancy, childbirth, and infancy.
  • Analysis of disease associations with medication-induced gut microbiota alterations.

Main Results:

  • Common medications like antibiotics and acid suppressants alter gut microbiota composition.
  • Medication-induced dysbiosis is implicated in infections, IBD, metabolic, allergic, and neurodevelopmental disorders.
  • Various therapeutic strategies can potentially restore gut microbiota balance.

Conclusions:

  • Early-life pharmaceutical exposure poses risks to gut microbiota and subsequent health.
  • Interventions including dietary therapy, probiotics, prebiotics, and FMT offer potential preventive strategies.
  • Further research is needed to develop targeted approaches for mitigating medication-induced adverse effects.

Keywords:
Early lifeGut microbiotaHealth outcomesMedications

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