Early Antibiotics and Asthma

By Editorial Staff

Do you know a molecule called IPA plays a critical role in protecting against asthma? The problem is it's produced by bacteria in a healthy gut – something too many people don't have these days.

According to research published in the journal Immunity, not only is this molecule crucial when it comes to the asthma conversation; when antibiotics reduce its production – thus increasing susceptibility to asthma, this susceptibility lasts long term, even after IPA levels and gut microbiome health return to normal.

Antibiotic overuse is common at all ages, but particularly in infants / young children. A common culprit: viral infections (colds, flu) that do not require antibiotic treatment (which treat bacterial infections, not viral infections), but are nonetheless prescribed – and gratefully accepted – by worried parents who don't want to leave the doctor's office without a prescription. Sometimes, antibiotics are also prescribed for bacterial infections, but in the absence of guidelines recommending their use for a particular infection.

Keep in mind that asthma isn't the only risk factor when taking antibiotics; all drugs have potential side effects; plus, excessive use may lead to antibiotic resistance, which means the antibiotics aren't as effective if and when they're legitimately needed.

The moral to the story: Always ask your medical doctor about the necessity of a particular medication – antibiotic or otherwise – before filling a prescription. At any age, it's smart health care.