Probiotics and Allergies in Children.. The intestinal flora are proven to affect immunity and inflammation, hence the allergies. It has also been shown that this flora was different in children born to allergic parents. The researchers therefore try to identify probiotic strains that are the cause of these events.
The imbalance of the microbiota of toddlers is found to be a possible explanation for the increase in allergies:
With the increase and frequency of allergies, lack of exposure in infancy to microbial agents due to strict hygiene is often mentioned. The composition of the intestinal flora, also known as microbiota, would be disrupted if the child has not acquired sufficient protective bacterial species. This change of initial bacterial colonization would affect the regulation of the immune system and could be involved in the occurrence of allergies.
To support this hypothesis, Swedish researchers recently compared the intestinal flora, also known as microbiota, and the infants of allergic and non-allergic parents. As a result, children of non-allergic parents had more Bifidobacterium bifidum and Lactobacillus. These results confirm previous studies. 5 years later, the children who had little amounts of lactobacilli and B. bifidum have become more allergic than others.
Can Probiotics Prevent Allergies ?
After achieving these results, one would think that the administration of certain beneficial bacteria- probiotics could then increase immunity and prevent allergies from occurring.
Then the mothers in late pregnancy were given probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG or Bifidobacterium animalis lactis HN019 or a placebo. They continued taking these the first few months after labor, while they were breastfeeding. At the same time their children received the same probiotics for 2 years. Tests then showed that children with mothers in the Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG group and who themselves took the same probiotic for 2 years had less eczema than others. But the atopy- allergic susceptibility was not diminished.
Similarly, the work of the Finnish Erika Isolauri showed a decrease in cases of atopic eczema in children whose mothers took a combination of lactic acid bacteria during the pregnancy.
These seem to be promising. However, the results of different studies are somewhat contradictory, with different populations studied. Further work will be necessary to clarify whether to take probiotics during pregnancy, at birth, how long and what type.
Can Probiotics Relieve Allergic Rhinitis?
Probiotics that are good for the immune system, could reduce the intensity of allergic rhinitis, especially in children. A Taiwanese study has confirmed that the administration of fermented milk containing the probiotic Lactobacillus paracasei-33 for thirty or more days could improve the quality of life of children with allergic rhinitis and may be an alternative to usual treatments.
Can Probiotics Treat Eczema?
The results of studies on the impact of probiotics on eczema already acquired are also contradictory. A meta- analysis of ten clinical studies found a small effect in the treatment of atopic eczema in children, especially in the case of moderate to serious eczema with a 2009 report concluding that probiotics can not be recommended for treating eczema, given the heterogeneity of the studies on this subject. But the researchers do not completely exclude the efficacy of some probiotic strains, which are yet to be discovered.
In conclusion, studies focus on certain strains of probiotics for the prevention or treatment of allergic reactions. It is too early to recommend a particular strain as the studies were not sufficient or had contradictory results. Moreover there is currently no official indication of consumption of lactic acid bacteria in the case of allergies.
Nevertheless, the analyses of the past ten years of probiotics and allergies in children show that the composition of the microflora influences the development of allergies and several studies give hope to the identification of probiotics with real and lasting benefits to these problems that affect more and more patients in the world.
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