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May 12, 2025 – A new study has found that girls who are given antibiotics during their first year of life, especially within the first three months, are significantly more likely to experience early puberty. The research, presented at the first Joint Congress between the European Society of Paediatric Endocrinology (ESPE) and the European Society of Endocrinology (ESE), highlights the potential long-term impacts of early-life exposure to antibiotics.
Key Findings
Researchers from Hanyang University Guri Hospital and Hanyang University Medical Center in South Korea analyzed data from 322,731 children aged 0–12 months. The children were tracked until the girls reached age 9 and the boys age 10. The study found:
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Girls prescribed antibiotics before 3 months of age were 33% more likely to start puberty early compared to those who were not.
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Girls who received antibiotics before 14 days of age had a 40% higher risk of early puberty.
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The risk of early puberty increased with the number of different antibiotic classes used. Girls who took five or more classes of antibiotics had a 22% higher risk than those who used two or fewer.
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No link was found between antibiotic intake and early puberty in boys.
Early puberty, also known as central precocious puberty (CPP), is characterized by the early onset of secondary sexual development-before age 8 in girls and before age 9 in boys. While the condition is more common in girls and often has no clear cause, its incidence has been rising in recent decades.
Implications for Parents and Healthcare Providers
Dr. Yunsoo Choe, who was involved in the study, emphasized the importance of the findings:
“This population-based study is one of the first to explore this association between early-life antibiotic use, including the timing, frequency and number of classes, and in such a large national cohort of children.”
The results may encourage doctors and parents to weigh the long-term effects of antibiotics when making treatment decisions for infants. While antibiotics remain essential for treating bacterial infections, the study underscores the importance of using these medications judiciously, especially in very young children.
Disclaimer
This article is based on a study presented at a scientific congress and reported by Mid-day. The findings are preliminary and should not be considered as medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making any decisions about medical treatment for children. Mid-day and this publication accept no responsibility or liability for the accuracy or reliability of the data. The content may be subject to change or removal at the discretion of the original publisher.
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