# UEG Week 2026: Antibiotic use from childhood linked to higher odds of IBS in young adulthood

- Link: https://www.thailand-business-news.com/pr-news/ueg-week-2026-antibiotic-use-from-childhood-linked-to-higher-odds-of-ibs-in-young-adulthood
- Published: 2026-10-19T05:01:00+07:00
- Author: PR Newswire

BARCELONA, Spain, Oct. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — **Antibiotic use from childhood through
early adulthood is associated with higher odds of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
at age 24, with the odds increasing as the number of antibiotic prescriptions rose,
according to a new study presented today at **[**UEG Week 2026**](https://ueg.eu/week)**.**

Researchers analysed data from 2,853 participants in the Swedish BAMSE birth cohort.
Antibiotic prescriptions were obtained from the Swedish Prescribed Drug Register
from 2005, when participants were aged 9–11 years, until one year before IBS was
assessed at age 24.

At 24, 10.0% of participants had IBS. Antibiotic use was more common among those
with IBS, with 87.8% having received antibiotics compared with 80.2% of those without
IBS. After accounting for sex and family socioeconomic status, those who had received
antibiotics had 1.5 times the odds of IBS (95% CI 1.0–2.2) compared with those who
had not.

The odds of IBS increased with the number of antibiotic prescriptions. Compared 
with those who received no antibiotics, participants receiving one or two prescriptions
had 1.3 times the odds of IBS (95% CI 0.9–2.0), rising to 1.6 times (95% CI 1.0–
2.4) with three to five prescriptions and 1.7 times (95% CI 1.1–2.6) with six or
more.

When antibiotic classes were examined, tetracyclines and cephalosporins remained
significantly associated with higher odds of IBS after adjusting for sex and family
socioeconomic status. Any use of tetracyclines was associated with 1.4 times (95%
CI 1.1–1.8) the odds of IBS, while three or more prescriptions of cephalosporins
were associated with 6.0 times the odds (95% CI 1.9–18.8).

Whilst the study did not investigate why antibiotic exposure was associated with
IBS, one possible explanation for the association involves the gut microbiome. Lead
author Dr Jessica Sjölund explained, "Previous studies have shown that antibiotics
can alter the gut microbiome. As alterations to the gut microbiome are thought to
play a role in IBS, this could be one pathway underlying the association observed."

Reflecting on the practical implications of the findings, Dr Sjölund stressed the
need to balance the essential role of antibiotics with careful prescribing. "Antibiotics
remain an important treatment for bacterial infections, and our findings should 
not discourage their use when they are needed. Rather, they highlight the possibility
of longer-term effects from repeated exposure and add to the reasons for avoiding
unnecessary antibiotic prescribing."

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**Read the original article :** [UEG Week 2026: Antibiotic use from childhood linked to higher odds of IBS in young adulthood ](http://www.prnasia.com/story/archive/5069740_AE69740_0?rand=184833)