Antibiotics and asthma in children
Prescrire International 18(103): 212
2009
ISSN/ISBN: 1167-7422 PMID: 19882791 Document Number: 634253
(1) A longitudinal cohort study showed an increase in the frequency of asthma among 7-year-old children who were treated with antibiotics during the first year of life, even when treatment was for non-respiratory tract infections. The risk increased with the number of antibiotic courses with the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics; (2) A meta-analysis of epidemiological studies showed that the risk of asthma doubled when antibiotics were administered during the first year of life. No such link was found in the combined analysis of the few existing prospective studies; (3) In practice, the likely benefits and risks should be carefully weighed before prescribing an antibiotic to a child. A narrow-spectrum antibiotic should be chosen whenever possible.