Antibiotic exposure in early life and development of childhood asthma.

Question I understand that antibiotic use in children younger than 2 years of age has been associated with the development of asthma. With so many children in early life suffering from middle ear and throat infections, are those children who are treated with antibiotics at higher risk of developing asthma or exacerbating their asthma? Is there a relationship between number of antibiotic courses and risk of asthma?Answer Administration of antibiotics in the first 2 years of life has been shown to be associated with asthma later in life in retrospective and prospective studies. However, study limitations such as protopathic bias, poor data collection methods, and small cohort size prevent clear determination of causality between antibiotics and asthma. The use of antibiotics in young children warrants careful consideration due to antibiotic resistance, adverse effects, and potential association with asthma. Copyright© the College of Family Physicians of Canada.