Probiotic Eases Ills in Children

Probiotic Eases Ills in Children

A randomized trial of a common probiotic has shown that a daily dose substantially reduced episodes of diarrhea and respiratory tract infections among children at day care centers.

Probiotic Eases Ills in Children

 Researchers tested 336 healthy children ages 6 months to 3 years who were attending day care centers in Mexico City. Half received a daily dose of Lactobacillus reuteri, a beneficial gut bacterium naturally present in many foods and in most people; the other half got an identical placebo.

The intervention lasted three months, and the children were followed for another three months without supplements. The study was published in Pediatrics and was supported by a grant from a manufacturer of probiotic supplements.

Probiotic Eases Ills in Children

During the study, there were 69 episodes of diarrhea in the placebo group and 42 in the supplement group. The placebo group had 204 respiratory tract infections, compared with 93 in those taking L. reuteri. And the placebo takers spent an average of 4.1 days on antibiotics, while the supplement users averaged 2.7 days. The differences persisted during the 12-week follow-up.

Probiotic Eases Ills in Children

“What’s notable here is that they used a specific probiotic in a good design and they also did follow-up,” said Stephen S. Morse, an infectious disease specialist at Columbia University who was not involved in the study. “This strengthens the evidence for the value of probiotics, but we still have a lot to learn.”

Thank you to read the article "Probiotic Eases Ills in Children" after my last update, entitled "Study Questions Fat and Heart Disease Link" in XTRA NEWS AND HEALTH blog.

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