A new study has revealed that children who regularly use antibiotics can gain weight faster than those who have never taken the drugs.
Dr. Brian S. Schwartz, study author and a professor in the department of environmental health sciences at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health said “Not only did antibiotics contribute to weight gain at all ages, but the contribution of antibiotics to weight gain gets stronger as you get older.”
He further explained that children can carry this weight gain into adulthood. The study, published in the International Journal of Obesity, examined the electronic medical records of 163,820 children ages 3 to 18, counting antibiotic prescriptions, body weight and height.
Earlier studies had relied on a mother’s memory of her child’s use of antibiotics but this study is based on medical records taken over time.
Dr. Schwartz recommended that parents should reduce their child’s use of antibiotics. He said “We’ve got to totally dissuade parents from advocating for antibiotics.
“As parents we want to feel like we’re doing something active for our kids, but I think we’re doing our kids damage. If your doctor says you don’t need them, don’t take them. ”