Antibiotics and Their Role in Disrupting the Adolescent Human Microbiome

Abstract

By analyzing studies done on mice and transferring those results upon humans, it has been inferred that early exposure to antibiotics may play a role in disrupting the natural state of the human microbiome, which may further lead to certain metabolic and immunological diseases. This study shows exactly how antibiotic use affects the human microbiome, specifically in Finnish children aged 2-7 years old, and attempts to correlate this disruption with obesity and asthma. With this newfound knowledge will come a more complete understanding of the effects caused by antibiotics on the human body. Additionally, it will allow others to more readily weigh the pros and cons behind their personal use of antibiotics.