A recent study uncovered the underlying connection between early childhood antibiotic use and heightened asthma risk. Researchers identified that the elevated risk stems from the depletion of a gut-produced molecule known for its protective properties.

The research team from Monash University identified a molecule called IPA, produced by gut bacteria, that shows promise as a dietary supplement in the future to prevent asthma development in children at risk of the disease. The results of the study were published in the journal Immunity.

"We know that recurrent use of antibiotics early in life disrupts a person's healthy gut microbiota and increases the risk of allergies and asthma. We have discovered that a consequence of antibiotic treatment is the depletion of bacteria that produce IPA, thus reducing a key molecule that has the potential to prevent asthma," Professor Ben Marsland said in a news release.

Professor Marsland emphasizes that a stable gut microbiota gets established early in life, influenced significantly by dietary intake such as milk and solid foods, genetics, and environmental factors. Infants at increased risk of allergies and asthma frequently show delayed and disrupted development of their gut microbiome.

"The use of antibiotics in the first year of life can have the unintentional effect of reducing bacteria which promote health, and we now know from this research that antibiotics lead to reduced IPA, which we have found is critical early in life as our lung cells mature, making it a candidate for early life prevention of allergic airway inflammation," said Professor Marsland.

The researchers conducted experiments with mice prone to asthma and discovered that giving antibiotics early in life made them more likely to develop allergic airway inflammation triggered by house dust mites. This susceptibility persisted into adulthood, even after their gut bacteria and levels of IPA returned to normal, indicating the molecule's critical role early in life.

"These results reveal a mechanism through which EL-Abx (antibiotics in early life) can predispose the lung to allergic airway inflammation and highlight a possible preventative approach to mitigate the detrimental consequences of EL-Abx," the researchers wrote.

The study also noted that when these mice received IPA as a dietary supplement during early life, they were effectively protected against developing allergic airway inflammation from house dust mites or asthma, as adults.

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