Early-life antibiotic use and risk of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and autism spectrum disorder: results of a discordant twin study

Background: Development of the gut-brain axis in early life may be disturbed by antibiotic use. It has been hypothesized that this disturbance may contribute to development of neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorder and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. We aimed to assess the association between antibiotic use in early life and the risk of developing attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder or autism spectrum disorder, while controlling for shared genetic and environmental factors in a discordant twin design. Methods: We conducted a cohort study in twins (7–12... Mehr ...