A recent study from South Korea has revealed concerning findings about the use of antibiotics in infants and its potential link to early puberty in girls. The research shows that girls who were prescribed antibiotics during their first year of life, particularly within the first three months, are at a higher risk of entering puberty earlier than usual.
The study, which involved over 322,000 children aged 0 to 12 months, found that those who started taking antibiotics before the age of 3 months are about 33% more likely to experience early puberty. This risk jumps to 40% for girls who received antibiotics in the first 14 days of life. Moreover, the researchers noted that girls who used five or more different classes of antibiotics had a 22% increased risk of early puberty compared to those who used only two or fewer classes.
Dr. Yunsoo Choe from Hanyang University Guri Hospital, who contributed to the study, emphasized the importance of carefully considering antibiotic prescriptions for infants. “These findings underline the need for proper use of antibiotics in young children,” said Dr. Choe. While the study highlighted significant associations in girls, it did not find any links between antibiotic use and early puberty in boys.
Early puberty, medically known as central precocious puberty (CPP), is defined as the onset of secondary sexual characteristics before the age of 8 for girls and before age 9 for boys. This condition is becoming more common, and experts are seeking to understand its causes.
The results of the study will be presented at the first Joint Congress of the European Society of Paediatric Endocrinology (ESPE) and the European Society of Endocrinology (ESE) at the Bella Center in Copenhagen on May 10, 2025. As more research is needed to explore the long-term effects of early antibiotic exposure on children’s development, health experts urge caution in the use of these medications during infancy.
-Rashmi Kumari
