Early-life antibiotic use and risk of asthma and eczema: Results of a discordant twin study

Rationale: Early-life antibiotic use has been associated with the development of atopic diseases, but the aetiology remains unclear. To elucidate the aetiology, we used a discordant twin design to control for genetic and environmental confounding. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study in twins aged 3-10 years from the Netherlands Twin Register (NTR, n=35365) and a replication study in twins aged 9 years from the Childhood and Adolescent Twin Study in Sweden (CATSS, n=7916). Antibiotic use was recorded at age 0-2 years. Doctor-diagnosed asthma and eczema were reported by parents wh... Mehr ...