Please select the eligibility criteria that correspond to the clinical trial below.
Title: Bifidobacterium Animalis Subsp. Lactis in Prevention of Common Infections in Healthy Children Attending Day Care Centers - Randomized, Double Blind, Placebo Controlled Study
Brief Summary: Hypothesis: Use of Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis can effectively prevent common infections (gastrointestinal and respiratory) in healthy children who attend day care centre

This study is a prospective, randomized, double blind, placebo- controlled parallel study in healthy children attending day care centers.

The study will investigate the effect of supplementation with the probiotic strain Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis on the incidence and duration of gastrointestinal and respiratory infections and absence from day care due to infections.

The test product is a sachet containing 1 gram of powder. The test product will contain minimum 1 billion CFU (colony forming units) of probiotic per serving. The placebo product is an identical product except for the absence of probiotics.

The study includes 3 months (90 days) of intervention period. The study product will be consumed daily in the evening together with a meal.

The consumption of the study products will be taken under the surveillance of the parents.

During the entire intervention period the subjects are not allowed to consume any probiotic products other than the study products supplied to them by the study personnel.

Data on infections will be recorded in a diary, filled in and administered by the parents and diary recorded by referring physician (on-call log).

All infections are to be diagnosed by the local physician. The incidence of infections will be analyzed based on the information recorded in the diaries (parent's \& physician's).


Options:
A: Inclusion Criteria:

* Healthy children attending day care at kindergartens located in the Zagreb's city centre
* Age from 1 year to 7 years
* Attendance at daycare centers: \> 3 days per week
* Signed informed consent by the parents

Exclusion Criteria:

* Immunodeficiency
* Receiving probiotic and /or prebiotic products prior to enrolment (2 weeks prior to study start)
* Neoplasms
* Severe chronic disorders
B: Inclusion Criteria:

* Healthy 1 month infants exclusively formula-fed

Exclusion Criteria:

* gastrointestinal disorders (history of chronic diarrhoea or constipation, gastroesophageal reflux)
* gastrointestinal surgery
* cow's milk protein allergy
* metabolic disorders (diabetes, lactose intolerance)
* immune deficiency
* antibiotic prescription 1-week prior to inclusion and previous use of formula containing prebiotics or probiotics
C: Inclusion Criteria:

* Children hospitalized at the Department of Paediatrics, Children's Hospital Zagreb
* Age from 1 year to 18 years
* Signed informed consent by the parents

Exclusion Criteria:

* Immunodeficiency
* Infants from neonatal period until 1 year of age
* Re-hospitalisation (readmission in a hospital within one month)
* Receiving probiotic and /or prebiotic products prior to enrolment (2 weeks prior to hospitalization)
* Neoplasms
* Severe chronic diseases
* Hospitalization shorter than 3 days
D: Inclusion Criteria:

* 6 months old children born at term
* written consent from parents

Exclusion Criteria:

* frequent gastrointestinal disorders (frequent diarrhoeas, constipation episodes, gastroesophageal reflux)
* gastrointestinal surgery
* cow's milk protein allergy
* metabolic diseases (diabetes or lactose intolerance)
* immune deficiency
* antibiotic treatment during the trial and/or recent (within the preceding 3 weeks)

Answer: A