Antibiotic use in pregnant moms may be associated with negative long-term health outcomes in their children, according to a new analysis in the Journal of Infection. By studying nearly 22 million children from industrialized countries, researchers found that exposure to antibiotics any time during pregnancy was associated with increased risk of immunologic, metabolic, and neurobehavioral adverse health outcomes in children. Among the 23 outcomes investigated, they found antibiotic exposure was associated with, for example, cancer (33 studies; odds ratio [OR], 1.13; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.01 to 1.26) as well as atopic dermatitis (13 studies; OR, 1.27; 95% CI, 1.06 to 1.52) and food allergies (8 studies; OR, 1.25; 95% CI, 1.09 to1.44). Authors note, however, that antibiotics cannot be considered the cause of such long-term health issues, rather that there is an association.
Additional outcomes: At the same time, the systematic review and meta-analysis found no significant associations between prenatal antibiotic exposure and a long list of other health issues, such as preterm delivery, low birth weight, overweight, type 1 diabetes mellitus, autism spectrum disease, and others.