The findings, published in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, are based on an analysis of nearly 300 children.

 

Researchers found that 22 percent of the 103 children born to mothers who took antibiotics during pregnancy were diagnosed with asthma by age 3. By contrast, only 11 percent of the children born to mothers who didn't take antibiotics prenatally were similarly diagnosed.

"We were particularly interested in how prenatal antibiotic use affected at-risk children — those with a parent with asthma, hay fever or eczema," said study author Brittany Lapin. "The prevalence in asthma has doubled in developed countries in the last 30 years, and we're still investigating why poor and minority children are diagnosed more frequently.
 

“The message to pregnant women is to avoid antibiotics to the extent that they can, and possibly avoid asthma development in their children."