Increased antibiotics use during pregnancy might contribute to allergic sensitization in infants: Study

Finland: A new study published in Acta Paediatrica showed that interventions such as personalized diets can be optimized for specific subgroups and specific risk periods to overcome epidemic allergies.

The prevalence of allergic diseases has been increasing since the early 20th century, with small family sizes, sex, smoking, long lactation, genetic factors, and the rural environment favoring the allergic phenotype. It is caused by living with less money. Societal urbanization, dietary changes, and new hygiene conditions contribute to changes in human lifestyle and, in turn, allergy susceptibility. A combination of risk factors known to predispose children to allergic diseases, along with the prevalence of antibiotics and lifestyle trends in the modern world, were the factors that motivated Puisto and his colleagues' research.

In this study, from three of his ongoing probiotic intervention studies, 433 children born to mothers with allergic disease or sensitization were selected for this case-control study. Children (n=231) who developed atopic eczema or food allergy, had a positive skin prick test result, or were prescribed inhaled corticosteroids by age 2 years were identified as cases (n=231) and had no allergic symptoms. No children were healthy controls (n=202). Data on initial environmental exposure were collected from prospectively documented research records. Statistical analyses were adjusted for possible confounders.

The main results of this study:

1. Determinants associated with an increased risk of atopic eczema are a decrease in maternal BMI before pregnancy and maternal antibiotic treatment during labor, the latter also associated with obstructive respiratory symptoms.

2. The risk of allergic sensitization was associated with a decrease in maternal BMI during pregnancy and antibiotic treatment during labor.

In summary, people are just beginning to understand the potentially detrimental consequences of overuse of antibiotics and the insidious increase in maternal obesity on the long-term health of children, and the potential risk of allergies. 

Reference: 

Puisto, R., Turta, O., Rautava, S., & Isolauri, E. (2022). Early life exposures and development of allergic disease in infants with familial risk: Results from ongoing probiotic intervention trials. In Acta Paediatrica. Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1111/apa.16518