Antibiotics makes kids obese, says study

A recent study found that repeated use of common antibiotics may have a significant effect on a child's development and cause side effects such as weight gain and growth of larger bones.

For the study, the mice were given three short courses of amoxicillin (a broad-spectrum antibiotic), tylosin or a mixture of both drugs. Researchers stated that “Number of courses of antibiotics matters. We get a little interruption of the maturation process after the second course of antibiotics, and then we have even more interruption after three courses." The study also suggested antibiotic-exposed micro biomes may be less adaptable to environmental changes. When the researchers moved the young mice to a high fat diet on day 41, for example, the micro biomes of the control mice all shifted within a single day to adapt to the new conditions.

The study supports previous research by Prof Blaser's group suggesting antibiotic exposure during a critical window of early development disrupts the bacterial landscape of the gut and permanently reprogrammes the body's metabolism, setting up a predisposition for obesity.

The study appeared online in Nature Communications.

By Lizitha