The question: Giving antibiotics to very young children kills not only bad organisms but potentially good ones, too - possibly including some needed for full development of the immune system, according to one theory. Might treatment with antibiotics affect children's chances of developing asthma, an increasingly common occurrence among young children?

The study: It analyzed data on 13,116 children. During their first year, 65 percent of them had been prescribed an antibiotic at least once. By age 7, asthma had been diagnosed in 6 percent of the children. Those who had taken antibiotics before age 1 were more likely to have asthma than were those who had never taken an antibiotic; the more often an antibiotic had been taken, the higher the risk. Children who took more than four courses of the drugs were nearly twice as likely to have developed asthma as children who'd taken none.

Who may be affected: Children. Asthma has been diagnosed in about 5 million U.S. children.
 
Caveats: The study excluded data on 864 children who had received asthma diagnoses before age 1. The study did not determine that antibiotic use caused asthma.

Find the study: It is in the June issue of Chest.

Learn more: www.kids health.org/parent and www.mayoclinic.com.

The research described in Quick Study comes from credible, peer-reviewed journals. Nonetheless, conclusive evidence about a treatment's effectiveness is rarely found in a single study. Anyone considering changing or beginning treatment of any kind should consult with a physician.
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