A groundbreaking study from South Korea reveals that antibiotic exposure during an infant's first year might accelerate puberty onset in girls. Researchers found that early and frequent antibiotic use significantly increases the likelihood of central precocious puberty (CPP), particularly when multiple antibiotic classes are involved. The study analyzed data from over 322,000 children, highlighting the potential long-term health consequences of early medical interventions. These findings could prompt more cautious antibiotic prescription practices for infants and young children.
May 12, 2025
Antibiotics during infancy linked to early puberty in girls
"This population-based study is one of the
first to explore this association" - Dr. Yunsoo Choe, Hanyang University
Girls given antibiotics during their first year of
life, especially in the first three months, are more likely to enter puberty at
an earlier age, according to new research.
Key Points
1 Early antibiotic use correlates with 33% higher
early puberty risk
2 Exposure before 3 months shows significant impact
3 Five or more antibiotic classes increase puberty
risk by 22%
The research, presented at the first Joint Congress
between the European Society of Paediatric Endocrinology (ESPE) and the
European Society of Endocrinology (ESE), found that the likelihood of early
puberty was also higher among those exposed to a greater variety of antibiotic
classes.
The findings highlight the importance of using these
medicines in infants appropriately and how early-life drug exposure could shape
future health outcomes.
Early puberty, also known as central precocious
puberty (CPP), is a condition characterised by the early onset of secondary
sexual development in children. In girls this means before age 8 and, in boys,
before age 9.
Early puberty mostly affects girls and often has no
obvious cause, while it is less common in boys. Over the past few decades,
early puberty has been on the rise and researchers are continuously
investigating the potential contributing factors.
In this study, researchers from Hanyang University
Guri Hospital and Hanyang University Medical Center analysed data on the
antibiotic intake of 322,731 children, aged 0–12 months, in South Korea.
They followed these children until the girls turned
9 years old and the boys were 10, and found that girls who were prescribed
antibiotics before 3 months of age were 33 per cent more likely to start
puberty early.
The risk was 40 per cent higher in girls who
received antibiotics before 14 days of age, and overall, the earlier the
antibiotic exposure, the greater the risk of early puberty.
Additionally, girls who used five or more classes of
antibiotics had a 22 per cent increased risk of early puberty compared to those
who used two or fewer classes. No association was found between antibiotic
intake and early puberty in boys.
“This population-based study is one of the first to
explore this association between early-life antibiotic use, including the
timing, frequency and number of classes, and in such a large national cohort of
children,” said Dr Yunsoo Choe at Hanyang University Guri Hospital in South
Korea, who was involved in the study.
The results may encourage doctors and parents to
consider the long-term effects of antibiotics when making treatment decisions
for young children, added Dr Choe.
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