I've just read an article that suggests that children who received
antibiotics three or more times during the first year of life had a 400%
increased risk of developing asthma than a child who received no
antibiotics.  Children who received antibiotics only twice during the first
year were an increased risk 225%.  If parents waited until after the child's
first year of life, the risk "only" increased by 64%.  (Clin Exp Allergy
99;29:766-771).

I wonder if the same holds true for allergies in general or food allergies
in particular.  Our daughter had 5+ antibiotic rounds during her first year
and she is asthmatic and severely allergic to milk and moderately allergic
to wheat.  Are there similar experiences out there?

Is this a chicken and egg question?  Was it the allergy that caused symptoms
doctors felt necessary to treat with antibiotics or was it the antibiotics
that screwed up the immune system.  Your thoughts/experiences?

Cathy Cralle