Giving babies and toddlers antibiotics can increase the risk of obesity

Antibiotics can be lifesaving, but they can have serious downsides — including increasing the risk of obesity when they are given early in life, according to a recent study. Antibiotics kill bacteria. That can be a very good thing when the bacteria are causing a serious infection. But antibiotics don't limit themselves to killing infection-causing bacteria; they kill other bacteria in the body, too. And that can be a very bad thing. Our bodies are full of bacteria. These bacteria, part of our microbiome, are important. Along with other micro-organisms in our body, they play a role in how we digest foods, in normal growth, and in our immune system. When we take antibiotics, we inadvertently kill some of those bacteria. At first glance, it seems like this wouldn't be such a big problem...

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from #Head and Neck by Sfakianakis via simeraentaxei on Inoreader https://ift.tt/2rmKK4A