The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 270 No 7252 p784
7 June 2003

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The Lancet (www.thelancet.com)

Probiotic protection against atopic eczema continues to age four years

Probiotics given to women around the time of childbirth or to babies could protect children from atopic eczema for up to four years.

This was a result of a follow-up study by Finnish researchers who had already found advantages for this therapy for children up to two years of age.

The researchers gave lactobacillus capsules to women for four weeks before expected delivery and to breastfeeding mothers or to babies for six months after birth. The initial results of the trial showed that the probiotic halved the incidence of infant atopic eczema at two years of age compared with placebo.

The follow up data at four years showed atopic eczema in 14 of the 53 children exposed to lactobacillus perinatally and in 25 of the 54 children on placebo. This marks around a 40 per cent reduced risk for the condition in those exposed to the probiotic.

"Our findings show that the preventive effect of lactobacillus [strain] GG on atopic eczema in at-risk children extends to the age of four years. This age, however, does not yet allow a final assessment of any effect on respiratory allergic disease, since these typically manifest themselves at an older age," the authors commented.

"Since the probiotic approach was promising and safe, future studies should focus on detection of new potential successful probiotic strains to be applied in combinations when combating allergic diseases," they conclude (Lancet 2003;361:1869).