Childhood infections increase the risk of obesity
“Antibiotics are not automatic”, everyone knows this expression today, and the statements about the fact that these, used too often in childhood, would be a cause of the increased risk of obesity in children later. Should antibiotics be eliminated completely? What if the cause is the childhood infections themselves?
The study
This is demonstrated by a recent study published in November 2016 inThe Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology(1). This study was conducted by the Kaiser Permanente Institute (USA), and would conclude that childhood infections would be one of the causes of future excess weight. To arrive at this result, the team of researchers studied the medical records of 260,556 children born between January 1997 and March 2013 in Northern California, and cared for by the Kaiser Permanente Institutesince birth.
A list of respiratory and ear infections they suffered from was carefully compiled up to their 18th birthday. A list of prescribed antibiotics and a curve of their corpulence was also established. The researchers also took into account other elements such as the child’s diet whether by breastfeeding or formula, as well as the mother’s body mass index (BMI) and whether or not the mother smoked.
The results
The results of the study are still alarming. Indeed, it was found that children who had at least one of these infections in early childhood and who did not receive antibiotics were25% more likely tohave future obesity compared to children who did not have an infection. It also found that the more children suffered from untreated infections, the greater the risk of obesity in childhood or adolescence.
Regarding antibiotic use, children who received antibiotic treatment, regardless of class, to treat one of these infections before their first year of life, did not have an over-risk of obesity compared to untreated children.
Following these results, the researchers advise to prevent these childhood infections as well as possible, as well as the treatment of these. They nevertheless remind us that it is important to reduce antibiotic prescription as much as possible, as much as necessary, but that they should not be completely eliminated.
So, automatic antibiotics or not? To be continued…
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.