Antibiotics And Proton Pump Inhibitors Tied To Asthma and Allergy Risk

The new study included data on 792,130 children, born between October 2001 and September 2013, whose medical records were within the US Department of Defense's TRICARE Military Health System.

Using the system's database, the researchers took a close look at which children were prescribed outpatient acid-suppressive medications -- histamine-2 receptor antagonists also known as H2 blockers, or proton pump inhibitors -- or antibiotics, such as penicillin, at any time within their first six months of life.
After examining the medication prescriptions, the researchers looked at which children in the data were diagnosed with an allergic disease, such as a food allergy or asthma, from 6 months of age and older.

The researchers found that an increased risk of every allergic disease they assessed, except seafood allergy, was tied to having received H2 blockers or proton pump inhibitors during infancy.

"This includes food allergy, anaphylaxis, asthma, atopic dermatitis, allergic rhinitis, allergic conjunctivitis, urticaria -- which is hives -- contact dermatitis, medication allergy and a class of other allergies," Mitre said.

What's your microbiome got to do with it?

The new study adds to the "mounting evidence" showing a possible relationship between acid-suppressive medications and antibiotics in children who go on to develop a wide variety of allergies, said Dr. Sarena Sawlani, medical director of Chicago Allergy & Asthma and a member of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, who was not involved in the study.

There are several hypotheses about why there could be a relationship, she added.

"These medications might alter the natural bacteria and flora in our intestinal system. It may be enough of a shift in our gut microbiome that it alters our immune system and goes on to confuse our immune system into triggering allergic pathways," Sawlani said.

"While we are still far from elucidating exactly how this shift in the natural gut bacteria is affecting our immune system in certain individuals, this study should bolster the ongoing efforts to better understand the mechanism of this unique process," she said.

Read the entire article on CNN.com here: https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/02/health/antibiotics-antacid-medications-allergies-study/index.html