Childhood Antibiotic Use Linked to Increased IBS Risk in Young Adults

Antibiotic use from childhood into early adulthood is associated with an increased risk of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) at age 24, according to new research presented at UEG Week 2026. The risk was found to increase with the number of antibiotic prescriptions.

The study analyzed data from 2,853 participants in the Swedish BAMSE birth cohort. Antibiotic prescription data was sourced from the Swedish National Register of Prescribed Drugs, spanning from 2005 (when participants were 9-11 years old) up to one year before the IBS assessment at age 24.

At age 24, 10.0% of participants had IBS. Antibiotics had been prescribed more frequently to those with IBS (87.8%) compared to those without (80.2%). After accounting for gender and socioeconomic status, the risk of IBS was 1.5 times higher for individuals who had received antibiotics.

The risk of IBS escalated with the quantity of antibiotic prescriptions. Compared to those who received no antibiotics, participants with one or two prescriptions had a 1.3 times higher risk, which rose to 1.6 times higher for three to five prescriptions, and 1.7 times higher for six or more prescriptions.

Specific antibiotic classes, tetracyclines and cephalosporins, remained significantly associated with a higher IBS risk even after adjusting for confounding factors. Any use of tetracyclines was linked to a 1.4 times higher risk, while three or more cephalosporin prescriptions were associated with a 6.0 times higher risk.

Researchers suggested that the alteration of the gut microbiome by antibiotics could be a potential mechanism explaining the link, as microbiome changes are believed to play a role in IBS. The findings highlight the importance of judicious antibiotic prescribing to avoid unnecessary prescriptions, while still acknowledging their vital role in treating bacterial infections.