Childhood eczema and probiotics in pregnancy
6 June 2003
Women who use probiotics during pregnancy can reduce their child's risk of developing atopic (allergic) eczema for the first 4 years of life, rather than the first 2, as previously thought.
(Probiotics are live bacteria, often from the genus Lactobacillus, that are thought to have health benefits when taken by mouth.)
Finnish researchers examined 107 children and found only 26 per cent of those with mothers who took the probiotic lactobacillus GG (Lactobacillus rhamnosus strain GG) during pregnancy had atopic eczema at 4 years, compared to 46 per cent of children with mothers who took a placebo (a dummy medication).
The number of children with allergic rhinitis and asthma did not differ between the groups (Lancet 2003; 361: 1869-71).
Last Reviewed: 10 June 2003
- 1. Medical Observer Weekly 6/6/03
