Early childhood infections could drive long-term health risks – Study

A new study has found that children who experience frequent infections during their first three years of life may be at a higher risk of developing moderate to severe illnesses and requiring antibiotic treatment in later childhood.

The researchers noted that the findings align with previous studies linking frequent infections during infancy to a higher risk of cardiometabolic diseases, mental health conditions, and atopic diseases such as eczema, asthma, and hay fever later in life.

Using data from the Copenhagen Prospective Studies on Asthma in Childhood (COPSAC) 2010 cohort, they examined the health of 736 children from birth to age 13. The analysis revealed that each infection episode in early childhood was associated with an increased risk of moderate to…