February 2004

Antibiotics linked to asthma, allergies in babies

For years, M.D.s have been warned not to indiscriminately give antibiotics to patients, especially children. Many refuse to heed the warnings and the result has been the creation of "super‑bacteria" which are resistant to antibiotics, and a deterioration of human immune systems. Now, a study conducted at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit adds more bad news: Children who receive antibiotics within the first six months of life increase their risk of developing by age seven allergies to pets, ragweed, grass and dust mites and asthma.

For the study, researchers followed 448 children from birth to seven years. The children were evenly divided by gender. By age seven, children given at least one antibiotic in the first six months were 1.5 times more likely to develop allergies and 2.5 times more likely to develop asthma than those who did not receive antibiotics. The problem is a serious one, since nearly half of all children receive antibiotics before they reach their seventh birthday

The increasing use of antibiotics in children from 1977 to the early 1990s led to what federal health officials called a public health crisis in antibiotic resistance. A national campaign commissioned by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has sought to promote a more judicious approach for prescribing antibiotics for children.

SOURCE: Media Advisory, Henry Ford Health System, Sept. 30, 2003.

NOTE: This article appeared in the World Chiropractic Alliance Health Watch electronic newsletter. To receive this free newsletter each week, sign up at wcanews.com.