Babies
given antibiotics before they are six months old are up to 70 per cent more
likely to develop asthma later in childhood, according to a study. Researchers found that infants treated with
the drugs faced a 40 per cent rise in risks of the incurable condition if they
were prescribed a single course of treatment in the first few months of
life. The danger increases by 70 per
cent if they were given a second batch of drugs for hard-to-treat infections.
The
findings from Yale University concluded that there is a strong link, even after
allowing for other factors that might explain why some children go on to get
asthma, such as a family history of the disease. The researchers blamed the drugs for
upsetting the balance of protective microbes in a baby’s gut which help to ward
of illness in the early stages of life.