Research

Antibiotic treatment in malnourished children improves gut microbiome development

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Malnutrition threatens the lives of millions of children under age 5, causing about 500,000 deaths per year in low- and middle-income countries. Short courses of antibiotics paired with a therapeutic peanut butter-based food are the standard of care for treating severe acute malnutrition in children — but using antibiotics in this vulnerable population is controversial; public health experts worry about the worsening problem of antibiotic resistance.