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. 2019 Sep;49(9):3866-3876.
doi: 10.1007/s10803-019-04093-y.

Early Life Exposure to Antibiotics and Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Systematic Review

Jan Łukasik  1 , Bernadeta Patro-Gołąb  1 , Andrea Horvath  1 , Ruth Baron  2 , Hania Szajewska  3 ; SAWANTI Working Group
Collaborators, Affiliations

Early Life Exposure to Antibiotics and Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Systematic Review

Jan Łukasik et al. J Autism Dev Disord. 2019 Sep.

Abstract

We systematically reviewed evidence from observational studies on the associations between autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and early-life antibiotic exposure. Eleven articles were included in the review. Prenatal antibiotic exposure was associated with a slightly increased risk of ASD in two cohort studies on overlapping populations and in one case-control study; in three other case-control studies, no significant association was found. One cohort study found a slightly reduced risk of ASD after postnatal antibiotic exposure, while two other cohort studies on overlapping populations and three case-control studies reported an increased risk. Meta-analysis of the eligible studies showed no significant associations. Current data are conflicting and do not conclusively support the hypothesis that early-life antibiotic exposure is associated with subsequent ASD development.

Keywords: Antibiotics; Autism; Early life; Risk factors.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Flow chart diagram
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Meta-analysis of case–control studies on prenatal antibiotic exposure
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Hazard ratios and odds ratios of ASD in exposed versus unexposed groups—data from studies on prenatal antibiotic use
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Meta-analysis of cohort studies on postnatal antibiotic exposure—standard model
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Meta-analysis of cohort studies on postnatal antibiotic exposure—sibling model
Fig. 6
Fig. 6
Hazard ratios and odds ratios of ASD in exposed versus unexposed groups—data from studies on postnatal antibiotic use
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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