Association of Infant Antibiotic Exposure With Childhood Health Outcomes

Objective: To investigate the extent to which antibiotic exposure in the first 2 years of life is associated with the risk of immunological, metabolic, and neurobehavioral health conditions with childhood onset. Patients and Methods: In this population-based cohort study, we identified all children born in Olmsted County, Minnesota, between January 1, 2003, and December 31, 2011, through the Rochester Epidemiology Project medical records-linkage system. Demographic characteristics, antibiotic prescriptions, and diagnostic codes through June 30, 2017, were retrieved using the Rochester Epidemiology Project infrastructure. Time-to-event analysis was performed to assess the impact of antibiotic exposure on the risk of several adverse health conditions. Results: This study included 14,572 children (7026 girls and 7546 boys), of whom 70% (10,220) received at least 1 antibiotic prescription during the first 2 years of life. Early antibiotic exposure was associated with an increased risk of childhood-onset asthma, allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis, celiac disease, overweight, obesity, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (hazard ratios ranging from 1.20 to 2.89; P<.05 for all). The associations were influenced by the number, type, and timing of antibiotic exposure. Moreover, children exposed to antibiotics had a higher probability of having combinations of conditions, particularly when given multiple prescriptions. Conclusion: The present study finds significant associations between early life antibiotic exposure and several distinct health conditions with childhood onset. Additional research is warranted to establish practical guidelines to optimize the benefit and minimize the risk of antibiotics in children.