Credit: © Grycaj / Fotolia

Credit: © Grycaj / Fotolia

Antibiotic use in kids can cause autoimmune disease later in life

Antibiotic use in kids can cause autoimmune disease later in life, according to the latest research from Monash University.

Lately, we have talked a lot about the subject of antibiotics. While these substances can be great for you in natural forms, they are being way over-prescribed.

The overuse of antibiotics is now an epidemic in the United States and it is creating antibiotic resistance.

They are prescribed for almost everything.

The issue with taking too many antibiotics is that they kill good bacteria in the gut, which makes it more difficult to fight infections in the future.

The immune system gets used to them and creates antibiotic resistance.

According to the new study, antibiotic use during childhood interferes with the development of gut bacteria. This in turn affects the immune system, as 70 percent of the immune system lives in the gut.

The researchers found that this can lead to diseases such as inflammatory bowel syndrome, asthma, and multiple sclerosis, to name a few.

The researchers treated female mice with antibiotics during pregnancy and treated their babies with the same medications during the first 3 weeks of life. A second control group received no antibiotics.

The babies showed reduced levels of bacteria. After 8 weeks of life, the researchers looked at CD4 T cells, which are a type of immune cells. The immune cells in the antibiotic-treated mice were not effective in preventing severe inflammatory bowel disease.

Our intestinal bacteria are now understood to have a major role in shaping immune health and disease, but the details for this process remain poorly understood,” said John Wherry, Ph.D., deputy editor of the journal in which the study was published, in a press release. “These new studies provide an important clue as to how the early signals from our gut bacteria shape key immune cells and how these neonatal events can shape disease potential later in life.”

The dysfunction of CD4 T cells leads to an over-active immune system, which eventually causes conditions like Crohn’s, lupus, multiple sclerosis and other autoimmune diseases.

Sometimes, antibiotics are hard to avoid. But it is not always impossible. Talk to your health practitioner to see how you can find alternatives to antibiotic treatment.

The study showing that antibiotic use in kids can cause autoimmune disease later in life was published in the Journal of Leukocyte Biology.

Note: None of the information in our website is intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any illness or disease. The content on our website is for educational purposes only.

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REFERENCES:
1. “Childhood Antibiotic Use Can Lead To Autoimmune Disease Decades Later.” The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 06 Apr. 2017. Web. 11 Apr. 2017.
2. “Early-life Antibiotic Treatment Enhances the Pathogenicity of CD4+ T Cells during Intestinal Inflammation.” Journal of Leukocyte Biology. Journal of Leukocyte Biology, Apr. 2017. Web. 11 Apr. 2017.

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