Antibiotics Before Birth and in Early Life Can Affect Long-Term Health

Early childhood antibiotic use linked with variety of diseases, researchers find

By the time they turn one, half of Australian babies have had a course of antibiotics. Shutterstock

Half of Australian infants have received at least one course of antibiotics by their first birthday. This is one of the highest rates of antibiotic use in the world.

Although antibiotics are effective and potentially life-saving for bacterial infections in children, they are often prescribed for viral infections, for which they are ineffective.