Probiotics may help fight some childhood illnesses--study

According to experts, though probiotics have some potential in treating viral diarrhea and anti-biotic related diarrhea in healthy kids and infants, the natural supplement is not safe for kids who are chronically ill or have compromised immune systems.

Lead authors of the study, Dan W. Thomas, MD, and Frank R. Greer, MD, of the AAP's Committee on Nutrition, stated, "It is currently hypothesized that these microbes generate small molecular metabolic byproducts that exert beneficial regulatory influence on host biological functions.”

Probiotics reduce diarrhea
Nutrition experts issued a clinical report on the benefits and risks of probiotics in infants and young children based on a review of current medical literature.

According to them, the symptoms of diarrhea like acute viral gastroenteritis can be shortened by a day if kids are given probiotic foods, mainly yogurt early in the course of the infection.

The AAP researchers also found the natural supplements were effective in preventing diarrhea in healthy kids taking antibiotics which can sometimes trigger the condition.

However, there was no evidence the probiotics can actually treat antibiotic-related diarrhea.

Study authors wrote, "A striking finding of this review is that most trials reported that probiotics reduced diarrhea.The beneficial effect was consistent and significant across many different types of trials."

According to experts, though probiotics have some potential in treating viral diarrhea and anti-biotic related diarrhea in healthy kids and infants, the natural supplement is not safe for kids who are chronically ill or have compromised immune systems.

Some other findings
The new report found some evidence that probiotics can be effective in averting necrotizing enterocolitis, a condition that causes the death of intestinal tissue in babies weighing more than 1000 grams at birth.

Since there is no scientific proof to suggest that probiotics can treat intestinal conditions, more research is required before the AAP can propose the use of the supplement for constipation, irritable bowel syndrome or Crohn's disease.

Also, there is not enough evidence to endorse probiotics for pregnant women or babies to prevent eczema or asthma.

Though infant formulas and other food items enhanced with probiotics “do not appear to be harmful” to healthy infants, the medical group feels there is not sufficient clinical proof that the supplement offers any benefits.

Probiotics are not safe for chronically ill kids. Serious infections were reported in children with compromised immune systems or those who used intravenous catheters.

The authors state, “As with antibiotics, the use and efficacy of probiotics and prebiotics should be supported by evidence-based medicine.”

The findings of the new study are published by the American Academy of Pediatrics in the journal 'Pediatrics.'