Early antibiotic use may promote gut ‘superbug’ growth: Study | Lifestyle News, The Indian Express

Early antibiotic use may promote gut ‘superbug’ growth: Study | Lifestyle News, The Indian Express

By PTI |Washington |Published: September 12, 2019 1:16:15 pm

Early antibiotic use may promote gut ‘superbug’ growth: Study

The study, published in the journal Nature Microbiology, found that premature infants who are hospitalised and receive antibiotics for more than 20 months have an increased risk of developing 'superbugs' in their guts.

The long-term effects of these genome changes, which the researchers call “microbiota scars”, are not known. (Photo: Getty Images/Thinkstock)

Antibiotic use early in life may increase the risk of certain diseases by reducing the gut microbe diversity, and promoting harmful multidrug-resistant bacteria to take over, according to a study.