Antibiotics May Be Pro-Asthma

Overuse of antibiotics and antibacterial cleaners could be giving kids asthma.

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Asthma rates in kids have reached historic levels. Why? Surprisingly, some experts say, it may have to do with our sterile life- style and overuse of antibiotics.

Exposure to bugs puts the immune system into fighting mode, and that’s a good thing. Case in point: Kids who harbor the H. pylori bacterium are half as likely to have asthma as those who don’t, says an NYU study of 3,327 kids. (Since the invention of antibiotics, this stomach-dwelling, ulcer-causing bacterium has been on the decline.) The discovery could lead to the development of a preventive treatment.

But until then, think twice about germ-proofing everything. Toss antibacterial soaps and cleaning products and use regular ones instead. And avoid giving your child antibiotics unless you know the infection is bacterial.

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On my way to a picnic, I stopped at a fast-food place to order a quart of potato salad. "We don't sell it by the quart," the clerk snapped. "Okay, then give me two pints, please," I replied.

I'm proud to say I held my tongue when she asked, "Do you want it in one container?"

-- Julie Guiterrez, Metairie, Louisiana

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