A new study has found that girls who are given antibiotics during their first year of life, particularly in the first three months, may face a higher risk of entering puberty earlier than expected. The research was presented at the first Joint Congress of the European Society of Paediatric Endocrinology (ESPE) and the European Society of Endocrinology (ESE), raising concerns about the long-term impacts of early-life medication use.

The study reveals that the likelihood of early puberty—defined as the onset of secondary sexual characteristics before age 8 in girls and before age 9 in boys—increases significantly with early and frequent antibiotic exposure. This condition, known as central precocious puberty (CPP), primarily affects girls and has been rising in prevalence over the past few decades, prompting researchers to explore possible environmental and medical triggers.

Conducted by researchers from Hanyang University Guri Hospital and Hanyang University Medical Center in South Korea, the study analysed medical records of 322,731 children aged 0 to 12 months. These children were then followed until the girls turned nine and the boys turned ten. The researchers discovered that girls who received antibiotics before three months of age were 33% more likely to experience early puberty. Alarmingly, those exposed to antibiotics within the first 14 days of life had a 40% higher risk.

Furthermore, the study found that the variety of antibiotics administered also played a role. Girls who were prescribed five or more classes of antibiotics during infancy faced a 22% higher chance of early puberty compared to those who received two or fewer classes. Interestingly, no such association was observed in boys, suggesting possible gender-specific biological responses.

Dr Yunsoo Choe, a researcher involved in the study, stated, “This population-based study is one of the first to explore the relationship between early-life antibiotic use—considering timing, frequency, and variety—and early puberty in such a large national child cohort.”

The findings underscore the importance of careful and judicious antibiotic use in infants. While antibiotics are critical in treating bacterial infections, their overuse or unnecessary use in early life could have unintended consequences on a child’s developmental trajectory. Dr Choe emphasized that these insights should encourage both parents and healthcare providers to weigh long-term health implications when making decisions about antibiotic treatments for infants.

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