First exposure to antibiotics and neurodevelopmental outcomes in childhood

This study examines the impact of the timing of first antibiotic exposure on cognitive land behavioural development in children at 4.5 years old while controlling for multiple confounders. It used data from 5,589 children in the Growing Up in New Zealand cohort and assessed outcomes such as behaviour, executive function, and receptive language ability. Findings reveal that earlier antibiotic exposure, especially in the first year of life, was linked to poorer developmental outcomes, including more behavioural difficulties and lower scores in executive function and language ability. Specifically, exposure to antibiotics between birth and 3 months, or 6 and 9 months, was associated with lower receptive vocabulary. Antibiotic exposure before 12 months was also linked to higher behavioural difficulties. These findings suggest that antibiotic use during critical developmental periods may negatively affect children's later cognitive and behavioural outcomes, even after accounting for socioeconomic factors and ear infections (otitis media). Reference: Slykerman, R. F., Neumann, D., Underwood, L., Hobbs, M., & Waldie, K. E. (2023). Age at first exposure to antibiotics and neurodevelopmental outcomes in childhood. Psychopharmacology, 240(5), 1143-1150. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-023-06351-5