Early antibiotics linked to risk of childhood health conditions

A study in Mayo Clinic Proceedings found that early antibiotic exposure was linked to an increased risk of childhood-onset asthma, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, obesity, overweight, celiac disease, atopic dermatitis and allergic rhinitis, with the number, type and timing of antibiotic exposure influencing the associations. The findings are based on data involving 14,572 children, 70% of whom were given antibiotics before age 2. The research revealed that children had a higher risk of developing multiple conditions after exposure to antibiotics, especially after being given multiple prescriptions, HealthDay News reports.