What you need to know about childhood asthma

New study raises questions
Giving babies antibiotics could raise their risk of developing asthma, according to researchers at the University of British Columbia (UBC). A study published in the March 2006 issue of CHEST, the peer-reviewed journal of the American College of Chest Physicians, shows that children under age one who were treated with an antibiotic were twice as likely as untreated children to develop asthma in childhood. In addition, the use of multiple antibiotics in infants appeared to further increase the risk of developing asthma.

The cause for this could be a "state of excess hygiene," according to Dr. Fawziah Marra, coauthor of the study and associate professor of pharmaceutical sciences at UBC. "Limited exposure to germs can lead to an oversensitive immune system, which mounts an over-the-top response to such nonthreatening agents as pollen and dust mites," she says. "The result is an allergic reaction, which in some people can include the airway inflammation that's the hallmark of asthma."

However, Dr. Francisco Noya, director of the Asthma Centre at Montreal Children's Hospital, cautions that the study does not prove that antibiotics cause asthma -- it just shows an association. "It could well be that children who are going to develop asthma happen to be treated more frequently with antibiotics because they have more frequent illnesses," he says.

Take antibiotics seriously
The development of antibiotics has given us a strong weapon against illness, but it's important to remember that they only work against bacteria -- which means they're an ineffective treatment for viruses such as colds and flu. Babies are commonly prescribed antibiotics for such problems as ear infections and bronchitis, even though these illnesses are not typically bacterial, says Marra, and the antibiotics are not always necessary.

Remember that there's good bacteria and bad bacteria -- and antibiotics don't distinguish between the two. One thing that may help your body out while taking antibiotics is to supplement with probiotics -- active "good" bacteria -- to replace the beneficial bacteria being destroyed by the antibiotics. Naturopath Ashima Suneja of Toronto clinic The Centre for Health recommends taking a broad-spectrum probiotic while taking antibiotics. These are available in supplement form and should be taken at least two hours apart from the antibiotics for maximum efficacy.

Bottom line: sometimes antibiotics are necessary. But it's important that doctors prescribe them only when they believe there is no other effective treatment, and that parents take responsibility for administering the medication properly.

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