More Detailed Cause-and-Effect

Obesity has long been assumed to be a matter of too much food into

the body while too few calories are burned, but new studies.

including the recent one finding a link between use of antibiotics

early in life and body weight later in childhood, are suggesting that

the issue may be more complicated than it appears on the surface.

Scientists are still studying how bacteria in human digestive tracts

affect how the body processes food, but many researchers believe

that the balance of bacteria plays a role in how the body absorbs

calories. The amount of calories that a body absorbs from the same

amount of identical food may not be a constant. More studies are

needed to understand the relationship between bacteria in the gut

and body weight, but studies done so far are intriguing.

The link between antibiotics and higher body mass remained even

when researchers controlled for factors such as what the baby ate,

the weight of a baby's parents, whether the mother smoked while

pregnant, and the family's socioeconomic status.

The final step of the Cause Mapping process is to come up with potential solutions that could be used to

prevent the problem from reoccurring. This issue needs more research to fully understand the factors involved

so it's too early in the process to come up with potential solutions. The researchers were quick to point out that

infants should be given antibiotics if they are needed.

For a free copy of our Root Cause Analysis Template in Microsoft

Excel, used to create this page, visit our web site.

Increased risk of

childhood

obesity

Basic Level Cause Map - Start with simple Why questions.

More Detailed Cause Map -Add detail as information becomes

available.

1

2

3 Solutions

ProblemCause Map

Cause Mapping is a Root Cause Analysis method that captures basic

cause-and-effect relationships supported with evidence.

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Copyright ThinkReliability 2012Investigate Problems. Prevent Problems.

Possible link between antibiotics and obesity

ProblemStep 1.

AnalysisStep 2.

SolutionsStep 3.

Cause MappingCause MappingCause MappingCause Mapping

What's the

Problem?

Why did it

happen?

What will

be done?

1

2

3

Problem Solving • Incident Investigation • Root Cause Analysis

"Microbes in our intestines may play critical roles in how we

absorb calories, and exposure to antibiotics, especially early in

life, may kill off healthy bacteria that influence how we absorb

nutrients into our bodies, and would otherwise keep us lean."

- Leonardo Trasande of the New York University

School of Medicine, co-author of the study

A new study found a link between use of antibiotics before age six

months and higher body weights at 10 months and 3 years.

Basic Cause-and-Effect

A study recently published in the International Journal of Obesity

found that infants given antibiotics before six months of age were

22 % more likely to be overweight between the ages of 10 months

and 3 years. Researchers believe this may be because the natural

balance of bacteria in their digestive tracts is altered by the

antibiotics.

August 2012

Safety Goal

Impacted

Effect Cause

Evidence:

Given

antibiotics

before 6

months

Analysis

CauseEffect

Why?

NOTE: Read the Cause Map from left to right

with the phrase "Was Caused By" in place of

Safety Goal

Impacted

Increased

risk of

childhood

obesity

Body is

absorbing

more

calories?

Disruption of

bacteria in

their digestive

tracts?

Given

antibiotics

before 6

months

Prescribed

antibiotics by

doctor

Bacteria play

role in how body

processes food

Evidence: Researchers also

took into account what the

baby ate and other factors,

such as the weight of a baby's

parents, and still found an

association between

antibiotics and obesity.Evidence: Researchers

noted the study found an

association, and not a

cause-effect link and that

further studies are

needed.

Evidence: Studies have

shown a relationship between

bacteria in the gut and how the

body absorbs calories.

Some naturally

occurring

bacteria is

killedAntibiotics kill

bacteria

Evidence: Researchers

found that babies given

antibiotics before 6

months were 22% more

likely to be overweight by

age 3.

AND

AND