In a new study published in JAMA Pediatrics, children less than two years old who are given broad-spectrum antibiotics may face a slightly higher risk of becoming obese during childhood, according to the publication Clinical Advisor.

Investigators reportedly studied the health records of nearly 65,000 children who were seen at clinics from 2001 through 2013. The children were followed from birth to age 5 as researchers tracked the children's height and weight, and classified them as normal, overweight or obese.

Nearly 70% of the children were reportedly given antibiotics before the age of 2. Children who had four or more exposures to antibiotics were reportedly 11% more likely to be obese compared with children who did not have exposure to antibiotics.

"Infancy may be a critical period when environmental factors exert a lasting effect on the risk for obesity; identifying modifiable factors may help to reduce this risk," explained Charles Bailey, MD, of the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and colleagues.

Although the research shows links between antibiotics and obesity, it can't be said whether the antibiotics are "at fault," stated Bailey, according to the NY Daily News.

Bailey added that antibiotics do kill some of the bacteria in the stomach and could leave the body in a state where it is more likely to become obese. Antibiotics also have the ability to change which foods taste good and can change one's activity pattern due to side effects.

"One of the more interesting hypotheses is that your body's management of its weight involves interacting with the bacteria that live in your intestines, and affect the way you digest food," explained Bailey.