Risk of obesity in children due to drug use

The article was professionally consulted with Master, Doctor Ngo Thi Oanh - Pediatrician - Department of Pediatrics - Neonatology - Vinmec Ha Long International General Hospital.

Obesity is not simply an accumulation of excess body fat, but it also increases the likelihood of many other diseases. In particular, obesity in children is extremely harmful, directly affecting later development.
According to a number of studies, 333,353 children born from October 2006 to September 2013 had 72.4% of children taking antibiotics and 11.8% taking antacids. The results showed that antibiotic prescribing and childhood obesity interact. Children who were prescribed antacids to control reflux were also associated with an increased risk of obesity over time.

According to Assoc. Dr. Cade Nylund at USU said that the reaction of antibiotics on young gut bacteria is the cause of obesity. Antibiotics act directly on the intestinal microflora and some antacids also alter the intestinal microflora by reducing acid levels. With changes in bacteria will affect the digestion of nutrients and metabolism in the intestine.
For the treatment of bacterial infections, antibiotics play a very important role. However, many childhood illnesses are caused by viruses, such as the common cold. When children are infected with viruses, they do not need to be treated with antibiotics, limit to the lowest level in cases where they can be avoided, because antibiotics reduce intestinal immunity, fight infection and regulate inflammation.
According to studies, changing the number of bacteria can be linked to obesity and inflammation in children. Parents arbitrarily giving their children antibiotics or selling drugs in a rampant way is the cause of increasing obesity in children. However, we still need further studies to evaluate the link between antibiotics and intestinal dysbiosis. Until now, pediatricians still considered intestinal dysbiosis as a serious problem in antibiotic use, affecting the development of the immune system as well as glucose and lipid metabolism and leading to obesity in children.

If your child is also on antibiotics, you might consider taking a probiotic supplement. Probiotics are essentially healthy bacteria.
In addition, you should set up a suitable exercise regimen for your child, add fruits and vegetables in their daily meals to support intestinal bacteria.
In summary, antibiotics are associated with obesity in children, so parents should not give children drugs when the cause of the disease is unknown. To limit unwanted side effects of antibiotics and other drugs, when children have health problems, parents should take them to medical facilities for appropriate examination and treatment.
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