Antibiotics in childhood: direct impact on BMI orientation
Antibiotics are not automatic! Consuming too muchduring childhood would also beharmful in adulthood! This is demonstrated by a study by researchers at theJohn Bloomberg School of Public Health.
The study
While antibiotics are currently being debated in our society, researchers wanted to go even further in the study of them. They wanted to determine whether there was a link between antibiotic administration very frequently during childhood and health effects in adulthood. The results of their study were published in the International Journal of Obesity(1).
The study wasconducted on 163,820 children, aged 3 to 18 years, who were followed for 11 years (from 2001 to 2012). 20% of them had received antibiotic treatmentmore than 7 times during their childhood (up to 15 years).
The results
The results of this study are still alarming. By the age of 15, children who had frequently received antibiotics up to that age weighedon average 1.4kg morethan other children.
When using antibiotics during childhood, scientists have found evidence of reversible, persistent, and progressive effects in the trajectory taken by BMI (Body Mass Index, you too take the BMI test). The results suggest that antibiotic use may influence weight gain during childhood and not just during the early years (as has been the main focus of most previous studies).
This would be explained by an action of antibiotics on the intestinal flora. Indeed, they would modify the absorption of nutrients by our body, thus leading to weight gain. However, we know the importance of this intestinal flora (see this articleorthis one).
The researchers would have other leads that could explain this result. They point out that, even if the weight gap at age 15 is not necessarily obvious, this weight gap could widen over the years.
This study is the largestever conducted on the subjectby scientists with its more than 160,000 participants. The researchers hope the findings will have a big impact on parents’ behavior.
Indeed, they believe that they too often want their children to be treated with antibiotics, perhaps to be reassured. Even if the effect of antibiotics is not questioned, it is important toknow how to use them well, and reasonably. Dr. SCHWARTZ, lead author of the study, even adds that “if the doctor does not prescribe antibiotics to our children, we should not give them any“. The best reaction, sometimes, is abstinence. Trust your doctor for the present and future well-being of our offspring.
Stephen Paul is the lead author and founder of My Health Sponsor. Holder of a diploma in health and well-being coaching with more than 200 articles in the field of health, he makes it a point of honor to offer advice based on reliable information, based on scientific research, and verified by health professionals.