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TOPLINE:
A recent meta-analysis found that the maternal use of antibiotics during pregnancy was linked to a higher risk for infections, especially ear, nose, and throat infections, but not linked to an increased risk for respiratory infections in offsprings.
METHODOLOGY:
- Researchers conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to understand the association between prenatal exposure to antibiotics and the risk for childhood infections.
- They identified 12 cohort studies including 4,995,449 children through a systematic literature search across various databases.
- Risks for any childhood infection following maternal exposure to antibiotics were evaluated using random-effects meta-analyses.
TAKEAWAY:
- In a meta-analysis of nine studies, prenatal exposure to antibiotics was associated with a 33% higher risk for any childhood infection (odd ratio [OR], 1.33; P = .04).
- The odds of ear, nose, and throat infections were 40% higher among children exposed to prenatal antibiotics (OR, 1.40; P < .0001).
- No significant association was observed between prenatal exposure to antibiotics and childhood respiratory infections.
IN PRACTICE:
"Clinicians may consider antibiotics carefully when prescribing this for milder infections in pregnant women," the authors wrote.
SOURCE:
This study was led by Kareen Alon and Marie Hauerslev, Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Herlev Hospital, Capital Region of Denmark, Denmark, and was published online on September 24, 2025, in Thorax.
LIMITATIONS:
All included studies were observational, which may have introduced confounding. Studies varied with respect to population characteristics and infection types. Both prematurity and the mode of birth, known risk factors for childhood infections, were rarely adjusted for in the included studies.
DISCLOSURES:
This study did not receive any specific grant from any funding agency. The authors declared having no competing interests.
This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.
