Probiotics in the prevention of eczema: a randomised controlled trial.

Allen, Stephen J., Jordan, Sue, Storey, Melanie, Thornton, Catherine A., Gravenor, Michael B., Garaiova, Iveta, Plummer, Susan F., Wang, Duolao ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2788-2464 and Morgan, Gareth (2014) 'Probiotics in the prevention of eczema: a randomised controlled trial.'. Archives of Disease in Childhood, Vol 99, Issue 11, pp. 1014-1019.

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Abstract

Objective
To evaluate a multistrain, high-dose probiotic in the prevention of eczema.

Design
A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel group trial.

Settings
Antenatal clinics, research clinic, children at home.

Patients
Pregnant women and their infants.

Interventions
Women from 36 weeks gestation and their infants to age 6 months received daily either the probiotic (Lactobacillus salivarius CUL61, Lactobacillus paracasei CUL08, Bifidobacterium animalis subspecies lactis CUL34 and Bifidobacterium bifidum CUL20; total of 1010 organisms/day) or matching placebo.

Main outcome measure
Diagnosed eczema at age 2 years. Infants were followed up by questionnaire. Clinical examination and skin prick tests to common allergens were done at 6 months and 2 years.

Results
The cumulative frequency of diagnosed eczema at 2 years was similar in the probiotic (73/214, 34.1%) and placebo arms (72/222, 32.4%; OR 1.07, 95% CI 0.72 to 1.6). Among the secondary outcomes, the cumulative frequency of skin prick sensitivity at 2 years was reduced in the probiotic (18/171; 10.5%) compared with the placebo arm (32/173; 18.5%; OR 0.52, 95% CI 0.28 to 0.98). The statistically significant differences between the arms were mainly in sensitisation to cow's milk and hen's egg proteins at 6 months. Atopic eczema occurred in 9/171 (5.3%) children in the probiotic arm and 21/173 (12.1%) in the placebo arm (OR 0.40, 95% CI 0.18 to 0.91).

Conclusions
The study did not provide evidence that the probiotic either prevented eczema during the study or reduced its severity. However, the probiotic seemed to prevent atopic sensitisation to common food allergens and so reduce the incidence of atopic eczema in early childhood.

Item Type:	Article
Subjects:	QU Biochemistry > Vitamins > QU 145.5 Nutritive values of food WQ Obstetrics > Pregnancy > WQ 200 General works WR Dermatology > WR 140 Skin diseases (General) WS Pediatrics > Diseases of Children and Adolescents > By System > WS 260 Skin
Faculty: Department:	Clinical Sciences & International Health > Clinical Sciences Department
Digital Object Identifer (DOI):	https://doi.org/10.1136/archdischild-2013-305799
Depositing User:	Julie Franco
Date Deposited:	18 Dec 2014 11:52
Last Modified:	06 Sep 2019 15:26
URI:	https://archive.lstmed.ac.uk/id/eprint/4621

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