Do probiotics prevent childhood illnesses?

doi:10.1136/bmj.322.7298.1318

BMJ 2001;322:1318-1319 ( 2 June )

Editorials

Do probiotics prevent childhood illnesses?

They show promise, but bigger studies are needed

Papers p 1327

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Concerns about antibiotic resistance have lead to an increased interest in alternative approaches for controlling common childhoodinfections. Since prevention would obviate the need for treatment,the prophylactic use of probiotic bacteria to prevent these illnesseshas been proposed, and a study in this week's issue examines theeffect of a probiotic milk on diarrhoeal and respiratory infectionsin children attending day care centres in Finland (p 1327).¹

Probiotics are viable bacteria that colonise the intestine and modify the intestinal microflora and their metabolic activities,with a presumed beneficial effect for the host, ² ³ Many ofthese probiotics are lactic acid bacteria, such as lactobacillusor bifidobacterium, but not all probiotics have the same characteristicsand, presumably, not the same efficacy.³ To be effective aprobiotic must be able to survive passage through the acidic environmentof the stomach and grow in and colonise the intestine, even inthe presence . . . [Full text of this article]

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Relevant Article

Effect of long term consumption of probiotic milk on infections in children attending day care centres: double blind, randomised trial: Katja Hatakka, Erkki Savilahti, Antti Pönkä, Jukka H Meurman, Tuija Poussa, Leena Näse, Maija Saxelin, and Riitta Korpela
BMJ 2001 322: 1327. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]