Transcript Antibiotic “cerebral palsy” link

Antibiotic “cerebral palsy” link
Source: BBC News
What is cerebral palsy?
• It is NOT a disease or an illness
• It IS a physical impairment disorder of varying
severity that affects movement
• It is most often the result of failure of part of the
brain to develop, either before birth or in early
childhood
ORACLE Study
• Study investigated if giving antibiotics during
premature labor would improve outcomes for
babies
• Two antibiotics, erythromycin and co-amoxiclav,
had immediate benefits
▫ Delayed onset of labor
▫ Reduced risk of infections and breathing problems
• Seven years later, the children of mothers who
had received antibiotics were 3x more likely to
develop cerebral palsy (1.3% vs. 4.6%)
What does this mean?
• Women in premature labor should continue to
receive antibiotics if their water breaks
• Experts say antibiotics are not directly linked to
cerebral palsy
• They believe it is actually due to factors involved in
prolonging a pregnancy
▫ Treatments of antibiotics might suppress, but not
eradicate infection from the womb
▫ The unborn baby experiences continued exposure in
an infectious environment
• Further research is needed