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Multiple studies have linked prenatal antibiotic exposure to childhood wheeze and asthma. However, it is unclear whether this is related to the antibiotic itself or confounding factors, which can be numerous.
A study, published in the European Respiratory Journal (online, 3 December 2015)[1]
, used data from an Italian birth cohort, including more than 3,500 women and their children, to explore the presence of wheezing before the age of 18 months.
Third-trimester exposure to antibiotics was associated with a 2.09 relative risk of recurrent wheezing compared with no exposure, after adjusting for multiple confounding factors.
However, an association with first-trimester exposure was completely accounted for by confounding factors, especially respiratory infections during pregnancy.
The researchers also identified an independent relationship between genitourinary infections during pregnancy and infant wheeze, which they say should be investigated in future studies.
References
[1] Popovic M, Rusconi F, Zugna D, et al. Prenatal exposure to antibiotics and wheezing in infancy: a birth cohort study. European Respiratory Journal 2015. doi:10.1183/13993003.00315-2015
