Antacids and antibiotics administered to infants can cause allergies

Allergies are increasing, especially food allergies. While nobody knows for sure why this is happening, an important theory is that we can do things that confuse our natural microbe. Our microbe is composed of the trillions of microorganisms living on and in our body such as bacteria, fungi and viruses, all of which are responsible not only for the diseases we do but also for the health of the body when in balance. Microbe affects how we digest food, maintain healthy weight, fight infections. By linking to the immune system, it is thought that the microbe is also linked to our risk of developing allergic reactions. Two common types of drugs, antacids and antibiotics can damage our microbe.

Antibiotics do so by killing not only the bacteria that make us sick, but also the bacteria that help us keep ourselves healthy. With regard to antacids, making the stomach less acidic, they more likely make the bacteria in the mouth (which are normally killed by acid in the stomach when swallowed) to reach the intestine. These bacteria in the mouth can eliminate the bacteria our digestive system needs to function normally. In a study published in JAMA Pediatrics, researchers studied nearly 800,000 children from birth to 4 years of age. They tried to see if those children who received antacids or antibiotics during their first six months of life developed allergies later in their childhood.

They found that those children who received antacids were twice as likely to have food allergies than those who did not receive such drugs, and children who received antibiotics were twice as likely to have bronchial asthma than . Children who received antacids or antibiotics also had an increased risk of other allergic conditions, from hay fever to severe allergic reactions.