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 .
Effect of long term consumption of probiotic milk on infections in children attending day care centres: double blind, randomised trial
Abstract Objective : To examine whether long term consumption of a probiotic milk could reduce  gastrointestinal and respiratory infections in children in day care centres . Design : R and omised , double blind , placebo controlled study over seven months . Setting : 18 day care centres in Helsinki , Finl and . Participants : 571 healthy children aged 1 - 6 years : 282 ( mean ( SD ) age 4.6 ( 1.5 ) years ) in the intervention group and 289 ( mean ( SD ) age 4.4 ( 1.5 ) years ) in the control group . Intervention : Milk with or without Lactobacillus GG . Average daily consumption of milk in both groups was 260 ml . Main outcome measures : Number of days with respiratory and gastrointestinal symptoms , absences from day care because of illness , respiratory tract infections diagnosed by a doctor , and course of antibiotics . Results : Children in the Lactobacillus group had fewer days of absence from day care because of illness ( 4.9 ( 95 % confidence interval 4.4 to 5.5 ) v 5.8 ( 5.3 to 6.4 ) days , 16 % difference , P=0.03 ; age adjusted 5.1 ( 4.6 to 5.6 ) v 5.7 ( 5.2 to 6.3 ) days , 11 % difference , P=0.09 ) . There was also a relative reduction of 17 % in the number of children suffering from respiratory infections with complications and lower respiratory tract infections ( unadjusted absolute % reduction −8.6 ( −17.2 to −0.1 ) , P=0.05 ; age adjusted odds ratio 0.75 ( 0.52 to 1.09 ) , P=0.13 ) and a 19 % relative reduction in antibiotic treatments for respiratory infection ( unadjusted absolute % reduction −9.6 ( −18.2 to −1.0 ) , P=0.03 ; adjusted odds ratio 0.72 ( 0.50 to 1.03 ) , P=0.08 ) in the Lactobacillus group . Conclusions : Lactobacillus GG may reduce respiratory infections and their severity among children in day care . The effects of the probiotic Lactobacillus GG were modest but consistently in the same direction . What is already known on this topic Children attending day care centres are at high risk of respiratory and gastrointestinal infection The successful prevention of respiratory infections could be extremely useful for families and for society in general Short term use of probiotic bacteria has been shown to reduce the severity of rotavirus diarrhoea and the incidence of diarrhoea associated with the use of antibiotics What this study adds In a double blind , r and omised , long term study milk containing Lactobacillus GG slightly reduced the incidence of respiratory infections and antibiotic treatment in
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 .