This is an extremely interesting study that clearly demonstrates the health benefits of probiotics in strengthening a child’s immune system. Just a note about the study – the children were given 10 billion colony forming units of Lactobacillus GG (LGG) which is a good therapeutic dose. Ensure that your child is receiving the correct dose of probiotics. I always use probiotics for a period of 3 months before child care is commenced to allow enough time for a strong immunity to develop.

LGG can decrease the risk of upper respiratory tract infections including rhinitis, pharyngitis, sinusitis, otitis, and the common cold in children attending day care centers, claims a new study.

The findings of the researchers, which were published in the Journal of Clinical Nutrition, also found that the rate of absence from childcare centers due to infections was lower in children receiving LGG in comparison to those who were not. According to UNICEF, a global average of 16% of children under five suffer from acute respiratory infections.

The team behind the research explained that while the efficacy of probiotics in the prevention of infections in children who attend day care centers has been investigated in several studies, these have yielded contradictory results, and thus further studies are required to evaluate their efficacy.

Method

The researchers said the objective of their study was to investigate whether LGG administration could play a beneficial role in the prevention of both gastrointestinal and respiratory tract infections in children who attend day care centers. They said that they undertook a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 281 children who attend day care centers in Zagreb, Croatia.

According to the authors, the children were randomly allocated to receive LGG at a dose of 10(9) colony-forming units (CFU) in 100 ml of a fermented milk product or placebo that was the same post-pasteurized fermented milk product without LGG over a period of three months. 139 received the LGG supplemented fermented milk product and 142 received the placebo product, they added.

Control

The scientists stated that the children were not allowed to consume any other product containing probiotics or prebiotics during the intervention, and they reported that the study started in November and finished in February to coincide with period when the majority of infections occur. They added that the milk products were tested every two weeks to prove stability and concentration of the LGG, and both the research staff and children were unaware of the real nature of the product.

Moreover, the study investigators said that every ten days contacted parents to find out whether their child had developed any infections or side effects: “Infections were diagnosed by local general practitioners, who were responsible for the care of each child. They were asked to record details of all infections that the child experienced during the intervention period.”

Results

The authors found that, compared to the placebo group, children in the LGG group had a significantly reduced risk of upper respiratory tract, a reduced risk of respiratory tract infections lasting longer than three days, which they say has not been shown by previous studies, and a significantly lower number of days with respiratory symptoms. However, they noted that there was no risk reduction in regard to lower respiratory tract infections as a result of the consumption of the LGG.

Lactobacillus GG in the prevention of gastrointestinal and respiratory tract infections in children who attend day care centers: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: The aim of our study was to investigate the role of Lactobacillus GG (LGG) in the prevention of gastrointestinal and respiratory tract infections in children who attend day care centers. METHODS: We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 281 children who attend day care centers. They were randomly allocated to receive LGG at a dose of 10(9) colony-forming units in 100ml of a fermented milk product (LGG group, n=139) or placebo that was the same post-pasteurized fermented milk product without LGG (placebo group, n=142) during the 3-month intervention period. RESULTS: Compared to the placebo group, children in the LGG group had a significantly reduced risk of upper respiratory tract infections (RR 0.66, 95% CI 0.52 to 0.82, NNT 5, 95% CI 4 to 10), a reduced risk of respiratory tract infections lasting longer than 3 days (RR 0.57, 95% CI 0.41 to 0.78, NNT 5, 95% CI 4 to 11), and a significantly lower number of days with respiratory symptoms (p<0.001). There was no risk reduction in regard to lower respiratory tract infections (RR 0.82, 95% CI 0.24 to 2.76). Compared with the placebo group, children in the LGG group had no significant reduction in the risk of gastrointestinal infections (RR 0.63, 95% CI 0.38 to 1.06), vomiting episodes (RR 0.60, 95% CI 0.29 to 1.24), and diarrheal episodes (RR 0.63, 95% CI 0.35 to 1.11) as well as no reduction in the number of days with gastrointestinal symptoms (p=0.063). CONCLUSION: LGG administration can be recommended as a valid measure for decreasing the risk of upper respiratory tract infections in children attending day care centers.

Clin Nutr. 2009 Nov 4.

PMID: 19896252