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Antibiotic use during pregnancy linked to development of asthma in children

Mothers who use antibiotics during pregnancy could put their children at risk for developing asthma by the age of 3 years, according to a recent study.

“Prenatal antibiotic use could modify the placental, vaginal or maternal gut microbiome which may increase a child’s risk of developing asthma,” researchers wrote.

The study focused on families living in underprivileged areas of urban Chicago with an unborn child at risk for developing asthma. From 1998 to 2004, mothers were followed and surveyed in each trimester of pregnancy and soon after delivery. The researchers then followed 301 of their children from age 4 weeks to 3 years.

The researchers assessed such prenatal risk factors as antibiotic use, infections and smoking status for each trimester. They found 103 mothers used antibiotics during their pregnancy and mothers who had asthma were more likely to take antibiotics during pregnancy (P<.01).

A mother’s antibiotic use during pregnancy, having asthma herself or giving her child antibiotics for respiratory reasons during their first year predicted the risk of asthma by age 3 years (aOR 3.12; 95% CI, 1.44–6.77).

Smoking while pregnant and low birth weight were predictors of wheezing (P=.018 and P=.048). The use of antibiotics during pregnancy increased the odds (aOR 1.76; 95% CI, 0.94-3.28) of wheezing, as did lack of breastfeeding and antibiotics for respiratory use in the child’s first year.

Researchers also indicated the use of antibiotics during the second and third trimester predicted asthma in children.

There were limitations within the study. Because the majority of mothers in the study were from disadvantaged, urban, Hispanic backgrounds, the study results were limited to underprivileged children at risk for asthma. Another hindrance to the study was that researchers did not have access to how often mothers took antibiotics or the reason why mothers took antibiotics.

Disclosures: Ownby is a paid board member of the Merck Childhood Asthma Network. The remaining authors report no relevant financial disclosures.