article_snippet.sent: Babies given antibiotics in the first six months of life are more likely to be fat as toddlers, a large-scale study has found.
article_snippet.sent: Babies given antibiotics in the first six months of life are more likely to be fat as toddlers, a large-scale study has found (file photo)
article_snippet.sent: The Finnish researchers compared the weight and height of more than 12,000 healthy two year old with records on antibiotic prescription.
article_snippet.sent: And children who had taken antibiotics as young babies were particularly likely to be overweight.
article_snippet.sent: Repeated prescriptions before the age of two also raised the odds of being a fat toddler.
article_snippet.sent: Boys seemed particularly prone weight gain after being given antibiotics.
article_snippet.sent: Boys were also slightly taller than boys who hadn't been given the drugs.
article_snippet.sent: Lead author Dr Antti Saari, of Kuopio University Hospital, warned: 'Antibiotic exposure before six months of age, or repeatedly during infancy, was associated with increased body mass in healthy children. '
article_snippet.sent: Such effects may play a role in the worldwide childhood obesity epidemic and highlight the importance of judicious use of antibiotics in infancy.
article_snippet.sent: By two years-old, one in five boys and one in ten girls was overweight or obese and children who had taken antibiotics as young babies were particularly likely to be overweight (file photo) '
article_snippet.sent: Previous research has found that babies given antibiotics are at higher risk of eczema and digestive problems.
highlights_snippet.sent: Children who took antibiotics as babies were more likely to be overweight .