| Ref. | Population | Time of Antibiotic Prescription(s) | Method | Antibiotic Use Assessed by | Number in Study | Findings/ OR | Linked to Eczema | 95% CI | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| McKeever et al. 2002 [27] |
Children in the English midlands, under 11 years |
1st year of life | Retrospective cohort. |
GP records | 21,129, 72.3% of available records |
(aHR) 1.22 | Yes | 1.12-1.34 | Inconsistent dose-response relationship. No data on confounding variables |
| Von Mutius et al. 1999 [40] |
Dresden, children, aged 5-11 |
1st year 1-2 courses | Survey, clinical examination, venous bloods for IgE antibodies |
Retrospective questionnaires to parents |
12 601 | 1.26 | Yes | 1.05-1.52 | |
| Floistrup et al. 2006 [34] |
Steiner school children and a comparator group, age 5-13 |
1st year | Survey questionnaires to parents Blood samples for IgE estimation |
Retrospective questionnaires to parents. | 6733 | 1.61 | Yes | 1.21-2.15 | |
| Blood samples for IgE estimation | |||||||||
| Cohet et al. 2005 [39] |
New Zealand children age 6-7, 1584 with previous notifiable infection plus a general population group | 1st year | Survey. Questionnaires mailed to parents | Retrospective questionnaires to parents. | 4123 | 1.4 | Yes | 1.21-1.62 | Eczema not linked to infections |
| Kummeling et al. 2007 [47] | Netherlands, children up to 2 years | 1st 6 months, including administration to breastfeeding mothers | Prospective cohort | Retrospective questionnaires to parents. | 2764 | 0.94 | No | 0.75-1.18 | |
| Faroogqi and Hopkin 1998 [38] | Children up to 12 years in a family doctor practice in Oxfordshire, UK | 1st 2 years | Retrospective cohort using. GP & public health records | GP records | 1934 | 2.04 | Yes | 1.53-2.72 | Stronger association with broad spectrum antibiotic |
| Droste et al. 2000 [41] | Belgium, children age 7-8 years | 1st year | Survey questionnaires to parents. Skin prick tests | Retrospective questionnaires to parents. | 1206 | 1.3 | 95% CI includes 1,uncertain | 1.0-1.80 | |
| Sariachvili et al. 2007 [44] | Belgium. Infants age 1 year | 1st year | Prospective cohort. Parents´ reports of eczema and IgE antibody measurements | Retrospective reports of mothers at 3, 6 and 12 months | 976 | 1.1 | no | 0.8-1.5 | |
| Celedon et al. 2002 [52] | Boston USA, at age 5 years | 1st year | Prospective cohort. Parents´ reports of illness | Telephone questionnaires to parents, every 2 months for 2 years | 498 | 1.1 | no | 0.4-3.1 | 1 parent with a history of asthma or allergy. No association with allergic rhinitis |
| Jedrychowski et al. 2006 [28] | Krakow, age 1 year | Pregnancy | Prospective cohort | Questionnaires to mothers every 3 months | 102 | 2.3 | No | 0.91-5.80 | |
| McKeever et al. 2002 [37] | Children in the English midlands, age 11 years | Pregnancy | Retrospective cohort | Database of GP records | 24 690 | (aHR) 1.19 | Yes | 1.09-1.31 | Risk increases with more courses. Similar association with hayfever |
| Sariachvili et al. 2007 [44] | Belgium. Infants age 1 | Pregnancy | Prospective cohort. Parents´ reports of eczema | Retrospective reports of mothers at 5 months´ gestation & 3 months of life | 976 | 1.8 | Yes | 1.2-2.7 |