A single course of antibiotics affects the intestinal microbiota of infants: Research Health
A recent study at the University of Helsinki found that the intestinal fungal microbiota is more abundant and diverse in children treated with antibiotics compared to the control group up to six weeks after the start of the antibiotic regimen.
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In light of the findings, the reduction in intestinal bacteria as a result of antibiotic treatment reduces competition for space and leaves more room for fungi to multiply. The study was published in the Journal of Fungi.
“The results of our study strongly show that intestinal bacteria regulate and control the fungal microbiota. When the bacteria are destroyed by antibiotics, the fungi, especially Candida, can multiply,” says Rebecka Ventin, PhD student. Holmberg from the University of Helsinki.
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A new key finding in the study was that changes in fungal intestinal microbiota along with bacterial microbiota are part of the reason for the long-term adverse effects of antibiotics on human health.
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Long-term changes in infant intestinal microbiota
Antibiotics are the most commonly prescribed medications for babies. They cause changes in the intestinal microbiota at its most important stage of development. These changes have also been found to be more prolonged than in adults.
“Antibiotics can have detrimental effects on both bacterial and fungal microbiota, which can lead to diarrhea associated with the use of antibiotics, for example,” says Ventin-Holmberg.
“In addition, antibiotics increase the risk of developing chronic inflammatory diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and have also been found to be linked to overweight,” he adds.
These long-term effects are believed to be due, at least in part, to an imbalance in the intestinal microbiota.
In the gut, everything is connected
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A recently published study involved babies who had a respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection and had never received antibiotics. Some children received antibiotics due to complications, while others did not receive antibiotic treatment throughout the study.
“Research into the effects of antibiotics is important in developing techniques to avoid chronic inflammatory diseases and other intestinal microbiota disorders in the future,” Ventin-Holmberg emphasizes.
The effect of antibiotics on bacterial microbiota has been studied in the past, but little has been done on their fungal microbiota. The results of this study suggest that fungal microbiota may also play a role in the long-term effects of intestinal microbiota imbalance.
“Therefore, future research should focus on all microorganisms in the gut together in order to better understand their interrelationships and gain a better overview of the microbiome as a whole,” Ventin-Holmberg points out.
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