Babies anitibiotic use and risk of IBD

Babies treated with antibiotics for middle-ear and other infections may have increased odds of developing inflammatory bowel disease later in childhood, according a study in the American Journal of Gastroenterology. Among 36 children with either ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease -- the two main forms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) -- 58 percent had been prescribed at least one course of antibiotics in the first year of life. In contrast, only 39 percent of 360 IBD-free children studied for comparison had taken antibiotics during their first year. The findings support the theory that factors affecting the early-life balance of "good" and "bad" bacteria in the intestines may contribute to IBD.

The researchers found that children with IBD were more likely to have been prescribed an antibiotic during the first year of life -- most commonly for middle-ear infections, but also for respiratory and other types of infection. Overall, antibiotic use in infancy was linked to a tripling of the risk of IBD relative to children who had no antibiotic prescriptions in their first year of life.