In the 1990s, a small study from Henry Ford Hospital hinted at something surprising: babies who received antibiotics in their first six months of life were far more likely to develop allergies and asthma as they grew older. At the time, the idea seemed speculative.
But today, after massive population studies and new microbiome research, we know the early researchers were on to something big.
Early-life antibiotics can disrupt the developing gut microbiome in ways that shift how the immune system learns to function. The result? A greater risk of asthma, eczema, hay fever, and food allergies later in childhood.
Antibiotics are lifesaving. But in the first years of life, they should be used with care—and only when truly needed.
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