Learn more with pediatrician Erica Bonns

How antibiotics affect your child's health

When your child needs antibiotics, it’s hard not to worry. The medicine fights the infection, but what about all the good bacteria in their gut? As a parent, you want to know the best way to take care of your child both during and after the treatment.

Paediatrician and Medical Advisor at Alba
MD, Karolinska Institutet

Dr. Erica Bonns

"If your child needs antibiotics, there’s no reason to worry – they play a crucial role in fighting bacterial infections. At the same time, we know that antibiotics can impact gut health. The good news? There are ways to restore balance and support the good bacteria after treatment."

Antibiotics and the delicate gut microbiome

Antibiotics can be life-saving, but they don’t just target harmful bacteria—they also affect the beneficial bacteria in the gut. This can lead to both short- and long-term effects on your child’s health, such as:

Short-term effects:

Imbalance in gut bacteria
Reduced levels of beneficial bacteria
Slower weight gain

Long-term effects:

Increased risk of asthma and allergies
Higher likelihood of obesity
Greater risk of inflammatory diseases

Since many children take antibiotics at some point in their early years, it’s important to know how to support their gut health during recovery.

Helping the gut microbiome heal

After a round of antibiotics, the gut may need extra support to regain its balance.

Tailored Prebiotics

If your baby is breastfed, they naturally receive human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs), which act as food for good bacteria and help restore gut balance. If your baby is formula-fed, prebiotics can mimic some of breast milk’s protective effects.

Probiotic Supplements

Probiotics contain beneficial bacteria that can help replenish the gut microbiome. These supplements may be especially helpful for babies born via C-section or those who have taken antibiotics. To find the right probiotic for your child, consult an expert in gut health and pediatrics.

How do you know If the gut microbiome has recovered?

Every child is different, and you can’t always see the effects of antibiotics on the outside. However, there are ways to check how their gut bacteria are doing and what you can do to help.

At-home gut health tests can provide a complete report on your child’s microbiome. Based on the results, you’ll receive a personalized action plan and a consultation with a certified nutrition coach, giving you the chance to ask questions and get tailored advice.

Developed by scientists from Karolinska, KTH and Uppsala University

Developed by leading researchers

Alba’s gut health test has helped many parents support their children after antibiotics. Developed by leading researchers, this safe and easy at-home test gives you a clear picture of your child’s gut bacteria – and practical steps to improve it.

Buy the test

FROM A PARENT

“He got sick and had to take antibiotics, and right after he had a big eczema flare. After Alba, his eczema has completely cleared.”

"My son was suffering from mild eczema that kept re-appearing all over his torso, back and legs. When he was 1.5 years old he got sick and had to take antibiotics, and right after he had a big eczema flare.

That's when I found Alba. The great thing about Alba is that it’s based on science. You’re not guessing or relying on generic advice. The insights are personal, and the steps are easy to follow.

We started diversifying Timo’s meals more and added yogurt, berries, and fermented foods. Within a few weeks, his eczema disappeared. Eight months later, it still hasn’t come back.”

- Noemie, Timo’s mamma

Read Noemie's story

FAQ

In children, it depends on the age. The baby's microbiome is constantly evolving from birth to adulthood, so monitoring its trajectory and development over time is even more informative than looking at only one snapshot.

From one microbiome test, you will discover:

Levels of friendly bacteria, promoting healthy development
Levels of unfriendly bacteria, as some types of bacteria are known to be unfriendly when in large share, being able to cause infections and inhibit friendly bacteria
Gut microbiome diversity, which is associated to health and wellbeing
Associations with constipation, from our clinical study in Sweden
Levels of bacteria promoting immune system development and associated to lower risk of allergy and eczema
Levels of bacteria promoting metabolic health and associated to healthy weight
Levels of bacteria promoting brain health and cognition
Most importantly, you will receive a set of personalized recommendations covering diet, environmental exposure, behavior and probiotic supplements (if needed) reviewed by our medical experts and discussed with you in a 1:1 consultation with a certified Nutrition & Health Coach. You will also receive 3 simple example recipes that promote optimal gut health.

References: Stewart CJ, Ajami NJ, O'Brien JL, Hutchinson DS, Smith DP, Wong MC, Ross MC, Lloyd RE, Doddapaneni H, Metcalf GA, Muzny D, Gibbs RA, Vatanen T, Huttenhower C, Xavier RJ, Rewers M, Hagopian W, Toppari J, Ziegler AG, She JX, Akolkar B, Lernmark A, Hyoty H, Vehik K, Krischer JP, Petrosino JF. Temporal development of the gut microbiome in early childhood from the TEDDY study. Nature (2018);

We are inhabited by 39 trillions of microorganisms that live on our skin, mouth, genitals, respiratory tract and gut. They are bacteria, fungi, viruses and parasites and they are essential for our health - in fact, we couldn’t survive without them! The gut microbiome is the collection of all of our microbes in the gut, and their DNA. It has a fundamental role in digestion, immune system health and brain health. Imbalances in the gut microbiome have been associated with most chronic diseases like obesity, diabetes, asthma, celiac disease and even cancer.

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References: Ghosh, T.S., Shanahan, F. & O’Toole, P.W. The gut microbiome as a modulator of healthy ageing. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol (2022); Vijay, A., Valdes, A.M. Role of the gut microbiome in chronic diseases: a narrative review. Eur J Clin Nutr 76, 489–501 (2022).

From a stool sample, we are able to collect the DNA of all gut microbes. From their DNA we can tell exactly which bacteria are present and what they are doing in your gut. We analyze bacterial DNA only, and we do not analyze your own DNA.

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