Background: Previous studies suggest that maternal antibiotics exposure during pregnancy may increase the risk of childhood asthma, but the results were inconsistent. Furthermore, most studies did not examine periconception period as an exposure window. We aim to assess the associations between maternal exposure to specific antibiotics before and during pregnancy and the risk of asthma in early childhood.
Methods: Data from the Collaborative Perinatal Project were used. Maternal exposure to antibiotics before and during pregnancy was recorded at each prenatal visit. A total of 39,907 singleton children were followed up to 7 years of age. Multilevel multiple logistic regression models were used to control for potential confounders and account for multiple pregnancies per woman.
Results: Maternal use of penicillin or chloramphenicol was associated with an increased risk of asthma in the offspring (adjusted odds ratio = 1.21, 95% confidence interval 1.08-1.36 for penicillin; 1.72 [1.14-2.59] for chloramphenicol). The risk was significantly increased if penicillin or chloramphenicol was used in the 1st trimester (1.09 [1.04-1.13] for penicillin and 1.23 [1.01-1.51] for chloramphenicol).
Conclusion: Maternal exposure to certain antibiotics is associated with childhood asthma by 7 years of age. Early pregnancy may be a sensitive window.