Meta-analysis finds no link between early-life antibiotics and type 1 diabetes risk
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Key Takeaway
Consider that early-life antibiotic exposure shows no overall link to type 1 diabetes, but a cesarean subgroup finding is preliminary.
This is a meta-analysis examining the association between early-life antibiotic exposure (during pregnancy and after birth) and the incidence of type 1 diabetes in children or adolescents. The authors synthesized data from about 7.4 million participants.
The primary analysis found no significant association between antibiotic exposure during pregnancy and type 1 diabetes incidence (HR = 1.06, 95% CI: 0.98-1.15, p=0.146). Similarly, no significant association was found for antibiotic exposure after birth (HR = 1.03, 95% CI: 0.95-1.11, p=0.491).
A subgroup analysis indicated a higher incidence of type 1 diabetes with antibiotic exposure after birth among participants born by cesarean section (HR = 1.62, 95% CI: 1.31-2.01). However, the authors note this result is from a truncated abstract and may be incomplete.
The authors acknowledge limitations, including the potential for confounding and the preliminary nature of the cesarean section subgroup finding. They emphasize that the meta-analysis does not establish causality.
Clinically, the findings suggest no overall association for the general population, but caution is warranted when interpreting the subgroup result for cesarean section births.
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View Original Abstract ↓
BackgroundThe impact of antibiotic exposure on type 1 diabetes (T1D) in childhood or adolescence is controversial. This meta-analysis aimed to explore the association between antibiotic exposure in early life (during pregnancy and after birth) and T1D in children or adolescents.MethodsWe systematically searched for cohort studies on the association between early-life antibiotic exposure and T1D in children or adolescents, in PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, and Science Direct from inception to October 2025. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CIs) were calculated to quantify the association between the early-life antibiotic exposure and the risk of T1D in children or adolescents.ResultsSeven studies involving about 7.4 million participants were included in the meta-analysis. Neither the antibiotic exposure during pregnancy (HR = 1.06, 95%CI: 0.98-1.15, p=0.146) nor the antibiotic exposure after birth (HR = 1.03, 95%CI: 0.95-1.11, p=0.491) showed significant differences in the incidence of T1D between the exposed group and the unexposed group. However, a higher incidence of T1D was observed in the exposure after birth compared to unexposed controls among participants born by cesarean section (HR = 1.62, 95%CI: 1.31-2.01, p
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