Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31041458›Full record

ArticlePsychopharmacology2019

Exposure to antibiotics in the first 24 months of life and neurocognitive outcomes at 11 years of age.

R F Slykerman, C Coomarasamy, K Wickens, J M D Thompson, T V Stanley, C Barthow, J Kang, J Crane, E A Mitchell

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in Psychopharmacology, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 54 papers, 6 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
54citing papers in PubMed, 6 pooled it
13.8field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

54 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 95 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
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  12. Importance of human microbiome: an update.Frontiers in microbiomes · 2026
    Review
  13. Article
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  16. Health and Psychological Predictors of Antibiotic Use in Infancy and Fathers' Role.European journal of investigation in health, psychology and education · 2025
    Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

R F SlykermanDepartment of Psychological Medicine, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand. r.slykerman@auckland.ac.nz.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4942-8887
C CoomarasamyDepartment of Paediatrics: Child and Youth Health, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand.
K WickensDepartment of Medicine, University of Otago, P O Box 7343, Wellington, New Zealand.
J M D ThompsonDepartment of Paediatrics: Child and Youth Health, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand.
T V StanleyDepartment of Paediatrics, University of Otago, P O Box 7343, Wellington, New Zealand.
C BarthowDepartment of Medicine, University of Otago, P O Box 7343, Wellington, New Zealand.
J KangDepartment of Medicine, University of Otago, P O Box 7343, Wellington, New Zealand.
J CraneDepartment of Medicine, University of Otago, P O Box 7343, Wellington, New Zealand.
E A MitchellDepartment of Paediatrics: Child and Youth Health, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand.
University of Otago · NZUniversity of Auckland · NZ

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

rationaleAntibiotics are commonly prescribed for infants. In addition to increasing concern about antibiotic resistance, there is a concern about the potential negative impact of antibiotics on the gut microbiota and health and development outcomes.

objectiveThe aim of this study was to investigate the association between early life antibiotic exposure and later neurocognitive outcomes.

methodsParticipants were infants born to mothers enrolled in the probiotics study. The initial study was designed to evaluate the effect of two different probiotics on allergy outcomes in childhood. Antibiotic exposure was based on parent report and categorised according to the following timing of the first exposure: 0-6 months, 6-12 months, 12-24 months or not at all. At 11 years of age, children's neurocognitive outcomes were assessed using psychologist-administered, parent-report and self-report measures. The relationship between the timing of antibiotic exposure and neurocognitive outcomes was examined using regression models.

resultsOf the 474 participants initially enrolled, 342 (72%) children had a neurocognitive assessment at 11 years of age. After adjustment for mode of delivery, probiotic treatment group assignment, income and breastfeeding, children who had received antibiotics in the first 6 months of life had significantly lower overall cognitive and verbal comprehension abilities, increased risk of problems with metacognition, executive function, impulsivity, hyperactivity, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety and emotional problems.

conclusionsThese results provide further evidence that early exposure to antibiotics may be associated with detrimental neurodevelopmental outcomes.

Indexed as

Age FactorsAnti-Bacterial AgentsAttention Deficit Disorder with HyperactivityBreast FeedingChildChild, PreschoolCognitionFemaleHumansInfantMaleNeurocognitive DisordersPregnancyProbioticsAnti-Bacterial AgentsAntibioticsAnxietyAttention-deficit hyperactivity disorderBehaviourGut-brain-axisNeurodevelopment

Identifiers

PMID31041458
OpenAlexW2943236633

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.