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 .
Viral Epidemiology and Severity of Respiratory Infections in Infants in 2009: A Prospective Study
Background : Viral respiratory infections are common in infants and can be severe . The new p and emic influenza virus H1N1v2009 was feared to cause particularly severe outcomes . Objective : This study aim ed at evaluating the impact of H1N1v2009 on the viral epidemiology , the clinical presentation and the severity of respiratory infections in infants . Patients and Methods : This prospect i ve epidemiologic study included all infants < 2 years of age , both in patients and out patients , presenting with respiratory symptoms , from November 2009 through April 2010 , at the pediatric emergency department of the University Hospital of Caen , France .  A nasal swab was taken for viral detection and analyzed by immunofluorescence and , if negative , polymerase chain reaction . Severe respiratory infection was defined by a score of respiratory severity . Results : One thous and twenty-one infectious episodes with a respiratory sample met inclusion criteria . Eight hundred thirty-four sample s ( 81.7 % ) were positive . The viruses with the highest incidence were the respiratory syncytial virus ( 34.2 % ) , the rhinoviruses ( 23.9 % ) , the coronaviruses ( 9.3 % ) and H1N1v2009 ( 7.7 % ) . Of all infections , 28.6 % were severe and more frequent in infants with risk factors . H1N1v2009 infections had a low risk of severe respiratory disease ( odds ratios = 0.15 ) and hospitalization ( odds ratios = 0.40 ) compared with the other viruses . Respiratory syncytial virus infections had a high risk of respiratory severity ( odds ratios = 7.85 ) and were responsible for 71.4 % of admissions to the intensive care unit . Conclusion : Despite the modest impact of H1N1v2009 observed in this study , further surveillance is needed to detect virological factors that may increase its severity
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 .