Allergy culprits: antibiotics and delayed introduction to nuts

Scientists are increasingly certain that an infant’s diet and exposure to medicine can contribute to the child’s likelihood of developing an allergy later in life. — dpa

Giving infants antibiotics while omitting nuts and eggs from their diets puts them at greater risk of developing allergies than other newborns, going by new research covering 2.8 million children around the world.

“Antibiotic use in the first month of life can lead to a higher risk of food allergy,” the team explained, while warning of a “lesser degree” of risk if the medicines are administered either “later in infancy” or during pregnancy.