This study was reported by researchers who work for a company which produces probiotics and other health food.

You may have seen products highlighting a probiotic as an ingredient, such as in yogurt-based items, at your grocery store.

Since a manufacturer of one of these products conducted the research, it is not coming from an independent source, which always is to be preferred in medical research you use to make your personal decisions. That does not mean it is wrong, necessarily, just that there is a clear self-interest at stake on the part of the company funding the study.

Adults responsible for cold-prone children still will find this study of interest, although there are a lot of qualifications about the findings.

Background

Read about probiotics in information provided by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

“Probiotics are live microorganisms (in most cases, bacteria) that are similar to beneficial microorganisms found in the human gut. They are also called “friendly bacteria” or “good bacteria.” Probiotics are available to consumers mainly in the form of dietary supplements and foods. They can be used as complementary and alternative medicine (CAM)A group of diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products that are not presently considered to be part of conventional medicine. Complementary medicine is used together with conventional medicine, and alternative medicine is used in place of conventional medicine.”

• “People use probiotic products as CAM to prevent and treat certain illnesses and support general wellness.
• “There is limited evidence supporting some uses of probiotics. Much more scientific knowledge is needed about probiotics, including about their safety and appropriate use.
• “Effects found from one species or strain of probiotics do not necessarily hold true for others, or even for different preparations of the same species or strain.”

Always be sure to mention any CAM treatments you use, along with prescription drugs. Doctors need to know about these so that they can develop a care plan that works for you.

Some antibiotics have specific instructions about what the patient should not eat or take while taking that medication, another reason to be sure you tell your doctor what CAM preparations you use.

Medpage Today

Editors’ Summary of Advice for Patients/Patients’ Decision-Makers

• “When given preventively over the winter months, probiotics reduce fever, cough, and runny noses in children, researchers said.

• “Lactobacillus acidophilus given preventively over the winter months appears to reduce fever, cough, and rhinorrhea in children.

• “Probiotics also reduced antibiotic use and the number of childcare days absent.

• “Explain to interested patients that the use of probiotics is not routinely recommended to prevent respiratory infections and further studies are needed to corroborate these results.”

“Prophylactic Lactobacillus acidophilus alone or in combination with other microorganisms reduced the incidence and duration of all three symptoms, Gregory J. Leyer, PhD, of Danisco USA in Madison, Wis., and colleagues reported online in Pediatrics.

“Danisco produces probiotics and other health foods.

“Daily probiotic dietary supplementation during the winter months was a safe, effective way to reduce episodes of fever, rhinorrhea, and cough, the cumulative duration of those symptoms, the incidence of antibiotic prescriptions, and the number of missed school days attributable to illness,” the researchers said.

“Some strains of probiotics have shown health benefits for adults in a variety of diseases. However, there isn’t a vast literature about the prophylactic benefits of probiotics in a healthy population. Also, studies have often been conducted with a single strain but few have studied strain combinations.”

Source: Medpage Today, July 27, 2009

Citation: Pediatrics 2009; DOI: 10.1542/peds.2008-2666.