Conclusion : Based on the available data and taking into account the safety profile of RCTs , probiotic consumption appears to be a feasible way to decrease the incidence of RTIs in children
Background : Respiratory tract infections ( RTIs ) represent one of the main health problems in children .
Probiotics are viable bacteria that colonize the intestine and affect the host intestinal microbial balance .
Accumulating evidence suggests that probiotic consumption may decrease the incidence of or modify RTIs .
The authors systematic ally review ed data from r and omized controlled trials ( RCTs ) to investigate the effect of probiotic consumption on  RTIs in children .
Specific probiotics in reducing the risk of acute infections in infancy--a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.
A r and omised , double-blind , placebo-controlled study was conducted to determine whether probiotics might be effective in reducing the risk of infections in infancy . Infants requiring formula before the age of 2 months were recruited from community well-baby clinics . Infant formula supplemented with the probiotics Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG and Bifidobacterium lactis Bb-12 or placebo was administered daily until the age of 12 months . Incidence of early infections ( before the age of 7 months ) and incidence of recurrent ( three or more ) infections during the first year of life were recorded as the main outcome measures of the study . During the first 7 months of life , seven out of thirty-two ( 22 % ) infants receiving probiotics and twenty out of forty ( 50 % ) infants receiving placebo experienced acute otitis media ( risk ratio ( RR ) 0.44 ( 95 % CI 0.21 , 0.90 ) ; P = 0.014 ) and antibiotics were prescribed for ten out of thirty-two ( 31 % ) infants receiving probiotics and twenty-four out of forty ( 60 % ) infants receiving placebo ( RR 0.52 ( 95 % CI 0.29 , 0.92 ) ; P = 0.015 ) . During the first year of life , nine out of thirty-two ( 28 % ) infants receiving probiotics and twenty-two out of forty ( 55 % ) infants receiving placebo encountered recurrent respiratory infections ( RR 0.51 ( 95 % CI 0.27 , 0.95 ) ; P = 0.022 ) . These data suggest that probiotics may offer a safe means of reducing the risk of early acute otitis media and antibiotic use and the risk of recurrent respiratory infections during the first year of life . Further clinical trials are warranted
Conclusion : Based on the available data and taking into account the safety profile of RCTs , probiotic consumption appears to be a feasible way to decrease the incidence of RTIs in children
Background : Respiratory tract infections ( RTIs ) represent one of the main health problems in children .
Probiotics are viable bacteria that colonize the intestine and affect the host intestinal microbial balance .
Accumulating evidence suggests that probiotic consumption may decrease the incidence of or modify RTIs .
The authors systematic ally review ed data from r and omized controlled trials ( RCTs ) to investigate the effect of probiotic consumption on  RTIs in children .