Early exposure to antibiotics kills healthy bacteria in the digestive tract and can cause asthma and allergies, a new study demonstrates. The study, published in Mucosal Immunology, has provided the strongest evidence so far that the long-observed connection between antibiotic exposure in early childhood and later development of asthma and allergies is causal. “The practical implication is simple: Avoid antibiotic use in young children whenever you can because it may elevate the risk of significant, long-term problems with allergy and/or asthma,” said senior author Martin Blaser, director of the Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine at Rutgers. To read the full story.