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Treatment with antibiotics in childhood provokes obesity
Last reviewed: 17.10.2021
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Small children (up to two years old) who have completed a minimum of four courses of antibiotic treatment are more likely to be obese in the future than peers. Such a statement was made by specialists from the United States. As noted by scientists, antibacterial drugs of a broad spectrum of action by 11% increase the likelihood of obesity by the age of five.
In all likelihood, antibacterial drugs provoke a violation of the intestinal microflora, which is the reason for the appearance of extra pounds in a child. The head of the research project, Charles Bailey, in his explanation noted that frequent use of broad-spectrum antibiotics in children under two years is definitely the cause of excess weight. At the same time, scientists have determined that antibacterial drugs of a narrow spectrum of action, even after two or more courses, did not cause a similar effect.
According to experts, it is in the first two years of a child's life that the main changes begin in the baby's diet, and the intestinal microflora develops intensively during this period. Infringement of microflora in the first years of a child's life can significantly affect his health in the future, therefore, experts called on all pediatricians to give up the practice of treating antibiotics with a wide range of children up to two years. Their words were confirmed by the results of research of more than 64 thousand medical cards of children. In addition, experts are confident that the rejection of antibacterial drugs of a wide range of action will get rid of yet another significant problem - drug resistance. In earlier studies, it was found that antibiotics, because of the developed drug resistance of the body, proved powerless in every sixth case.
In addition, another study found that antibiotics can cause death. The most popular antibacterial drug - clarithromycin, as it turned out, has a serious side effect. As studies have shown, clarithromycin increases the likelihood of death from heart and vascular disease.
Clarithromycin belongs to the group of macrolides, which can provoke the development of severe ventricular arrhythmia. But until recently, confirming this data was not.
Specialists have tested the effect on the body of two common antibiotics of the macrolide group - clarithromycin and roxithromycin, on patients from 40 to 74 years.
Scientists have analyzed more than five million cases of antibiotic treatment. Among all courses of antibacterial therapy, more than 4 million patients were treated with penicillin, about 160,000 with clarithromycin, and about 590,000 with roxithromycin. In total, 285 deaths from cardiac and vascular diseases were noted by the scientists against antibiotics (32 deaths were recorded among patients who are roxithromycin-treated, and 18-clarithromycin).
As a result of the calculations, the specialists determined that clarithromycin increases the probability of death from diseases of the cardiovascular system by 76% in comparison with patients taking penicillin antibiotics. Among patients undergoing roxithromycin, no increase in mortality was reported.