Giving antibiotics to infants could increase their chances for being heavy as a child, a new report from researchers at New York University says.
According to lead researcher Dr. Leonardo Trasande, babies who receive antibiotics in the first six months of their life are as much as 22 percent more likely to become obese between the ages of 10 months and 3 three years.
Trasande and his research associates examined 11,532 babies in the U.K. for the study, measuring their height, weight and antibiotic use at the ages of seven weeks, 10 months, 20 months, 38 months and seven years. Those with antibiotic use early on saw a increased chance for being heavy in childhood.
The study did not determine definitively why antibiotic use seemed to spike weight gain, but it may have to do with an imbalance of bacteria in the stomach.
"Unnecessary antibiotic use can disrupt healthy bacteria that live in our intestine," Trasande said in a news release. "If we have a disruption in the microbes in this gut, it can lead to over-absorption of calories and obesity."
"This will affect our thinking about the obesity epidemic. This study suggests the need to shift the paradigm from thinking simply about diet and exercise to other environmental exposures."
The study was published in last week's edition of the Journal of Obesity.
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