Publication
Title
A longitudinal analysis on the association between antibiotic use, intestinal microflora, and wheezing during the first year of life
Author
Abstract
Objective. To examine the association between the intestinal flora at the age of three weeks and wheezing during the first year of life in a prospective birth cohort study. Methods. The Asthma and Allergy study is a prospective birth cohort study. A total of 154 children were recruited through maternity clinics. Selection criteria were vaginal delivery at term and uncomplicated perinatal period. Questionnaires were collected with data on the parents, including demography, smoking, and asthma. Data of the child on demographic factors, respiratory symptoms, and risk factors for asthma were collected at the ages of 3 weeks and 6 and 12 months. A fecal sample was collected at 3 weeks of age. Results. The frequency of wheezing averaged on 11.8%, 18.4%, and 23.5% at the three time points. In univariate analyses, increasing total concentration of anerobic bacteria were associated with increased odds of wheezing. Furthermore, several trends were observed between wheezing and Bifidobacterium and Clostridium. A final model showed a significant association between wheezing during the first year of life and antibiotic use, total concentration of anerobic bacteria, while increasing concentrations of Clostridium were protective of wheezing. Conclusion. This study demonstrated an association between antibiotics, anerobic bacteria, and wheezing during the first year of life. The effect of antibiotics was probably due to reverse causation. Since Clostridium was protective of wheezing, other anerobic bacteria are probably responsible for the increased risk of wheezing, which remains to be demonstrated.
Language
English
Source (journal)
Journal of asthma / Association for the Care of Asthma. - New York, N.Y., 1981, currens
Publication
New York, N.Y. : 2008
ISSN
0277-0903
DOI
10.1080/02770900802339734
Volume/pages
45 :9 (2008) , p. 828-832
ISI
000260497400020
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
UAntwerpen
Faculty/Department
Research group
Publication type
Subject
Affiliation
Publications with a UAntwerp address
External links
Web of Science
Record
Identifier
Creation 25.11.2008
Last edited 25.05.2022
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