Early, frequent antibiotic use linked to childhood obesity

that “babies who got broad-spectrum antibiotics in their first two years of life, or who were prescribed four or more courses of antibiotics in that period, were more likely to be obese at some point between their second and fifth birthdays than were those who had taken no antibiotics, or who were treated with medications designed to target a narrow spectrum of disease-causing bacteria,” researchers found. The study's findings add to mounting evidence that the mix of bacteria in the gut plays a potent role in obesity. A welter of research has shown that the diversity of the gut's population of bacteria appears to confer protection from obesity, while an impoverished microbiotic environment in the gut has been linked to higher risk. The study also revealed that “among children who had four or more antibiotics prescriptions, including at least one wide-spectrum antibiotic, the risk of obesity rose to 17%.” What’s more, “the earlier a baby’s exposure to wide-spectrum antibiotic medications, the more likely he or she was, on average, to be obese between age three and five. Because the first 24 months of life comprise major shifts in diet, growth and the establishment of intestinal microbiome, this interval may comprise a window of particular susceptibility to antibiotic effects," the authors wrote.” http://www.latimes.com/science/la-sci-sn-childhood-antibiotics-obesity-20140929-story.html