Antibiotics are not always the best answer, especially in the case of young children. There can be side effects, such as an increased risk of developing asthma.

That’s according to 2007 article (“Increased risk of childhood asthma from antibiotic use in early life,” Chest) that published the results of a long-term study of children exposed to antibiotics during the first year of life. Of the 13,116 children born in 1995 that were studied, children who had received antibiotics in the first year of life were more likely to develop asthma at age 7 years.

In this study cohort of 13,116 children, 65% had received at least one antibiotic prescription during the first year of life, and in all but 3% the antibiotic was a broad spectrum antibiotic. That can have a strong effect on young bodies.

The authors also note that the “likelihood [of asthma] increased with the number of antibiotic courses,” and that “children who had received more than four courses of antibiotics were almost twice as likely to have asthma develop.”

The authors observe that “Asthma is one of the most common chronic diseases worldwide, significantly impacts quality of life, and represents a significant cost to the health-care system.”

If you are concerned about the potentially damaging side effects that antibiotics can have on young children, you might want to think about alternative and preventative care. Chiropractic has been proven to help support the body’s immune system that naturally defends against illness.

For more information, contact us at Evergreen Chiropractic.

Yours in health,

Evergreen Chiropractic

1666 E Olive Way

Seattle, WA 98102

(206) 323-1666

www.evergreenchiropractic.com

Reference: Kozyrskyj AL, Ernst P, Becker AB. Increased risk of childhood asthma from antibiotic use in early life. Chest. June 2007;131(6):1753-9