antibiotic use in first year of life might increase chances of getting Crohn's

My daughter had amoxicillin prescribed for her when she was only four months old...

http://www.ddw.org/wmspage.cfm?parm1=916

Antibiotic Prescriptions in the First Year of Life Increases the Risk of Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Population-Based Analysis (Abstract #95)

"By comparing cases of pediatric IBD and antibiotic use, researchers from the University of Manitoba have discovered that infants who are prescribed antibiotics in the first year of life may be three times more likely to develop lifelong IBD than children not exposed to antibiotics. Researchers believe that antibiotic use in infants can cause irrevocable impact to developing bowel flora, or bacteria, in the human bowel. Changes or irregularities in bowel flora are thought to be a potential cause of IBD. Bowel flora is established and remains relatively unchanged after one year of age. Taking antibiotics can temporarily change bowel flora, but after, use flora revert back...To confirm this study’s findings, more research with another population and larger sample sizes is necessary."

Souradet Y. Shaw, MD, will present these data on Sunday, May 2 at 10:30 a.m. CT in 295-296, Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.

This has always been something I wondered about. At 6 months of age, I was hospitalized with pneumonia. I was given tetracycline and developed the "gray teeth" that this antibiotic can cause in children. I also would have several ear infections when I was young and finally had tubes in my ears at age 4.

I started having crohn's symptoms around age 11-12, and dx'd at 14. I have often wondered if all the antibiotics I was on when I was younger had something to do with developing crohn's as a child.

I am the youngest of five and the only one in my family that has developed Crohns Disease. I had allergies bad as a child, and also had a ped doc who believied in getting the antibiotics into your system quickly and always injected them. I also started smoking at the age of 13 (now quit), and have always wondered if one of those things could be attributed to my developing CD. There are so many variables with this disease though that there is no telling what triggers it. JMHO

I think an equally possible explanation for the association is that children who one day go on to develop Crohn's may have more illnesses in infancy, and therefore are more likely to have been prescribed antibiotics at that age (meaning that the antibiotics are not the causal factor).

I don't recall son having anti-biotics as a youngster or being sickly etc but he developed Crohns. Daughter was never off of them, she had three lots of grommets and her adenoids(sp) out yet she is clear of crohns(for the time being!!)