Differences were potentially attributable to differences in infant risk , prebiotic formulation or measurement of eczema .
There is insufficient evidence to determine the role of prebiotic supplementation of infant formula for prevention of allergic disease and food hypersensitivity .
Further trials are needed to determine whether this finding persists over a longer period of time , applies to other manifestations of allergic disease , is associated with reductions in allergen sensitisation , and is reproducible
BACKGROUND The composition of the intestinal microflora may be different in individuals with atopic eczema from those without this condition , and such differences may precede the development of eczema .
Prebiotics are nondigestible food components that benefit the host by selectively stimulating the growth or activity of non-pathogenic bacteria in the colon .
Prebiotics ( commonly oligosaccharides ) added to infant feeds have the potential to prevent sensitisation of infants to dietary allergens .
OBJECTIVES To determine the effect of prebiotics given to infants for the prevention of allergic disease or food hypersensitivity .
Probiotics and prebiotic galacto-oligosaccharides in the prevention of allergic diseases: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.
BACKGROUND The increase in allergic diseases is attributed to a relative lack of microbial stimulation of the infantile gut immune system . Probiotics , live health-promoting microbes , might offer such stimulation . OBJECTIVE We studied the effect of a mixture of 4 probiotic bacterial strains along with prebiotic galacto-oligosaccharides in preventing allergic diseases . METHODS We r and omized 1223 pregnant women carrying high-risk children to use a probiotic preparation or a placebo for 2 to 4 weeks before delivery . Their infants received the same probiotics plus galacto-oligosaccharides ( n = 461 ) or a placebo ( n = 464 ) for 6 months . At 2 years , we evaluated the cumulative incidence of allergic diseases ( food allergy , eczema , asthma , and allergic rhinitis ) and IgE sensitization ( positive skin prick test response or serum antigen-specific IgE level > 0.7 kU/L ) . Fecal bacteria were analyzed during treatment and at age 2 years . RESULTS Probiotic treatment compared with placebo showed no effect on the cumulative incidence of allergic diseases but tended to reduce IgE-associated ( atopic ) diseases ( odds ratio [ OR ] , 0.71 ; 95 % CI , 0.50 - 1.00 ; P = .052 ) . Probiotic treatment reduced eczema ( OR , 0.74 ; 95 % CI , 0.55 - 0.98 ; P = .035 ) and atopic eczema ( OR , 0.66 ; 95 % CI , 0.46 - 0.95 ; P = .025 ) . Lactobacilli and bifidobacteria more frequently ( P < .001 ) colonized the guts of supplemented infants . CONCLUSION Probiotic treatment showed no effect on the incidence of all allergic diseases by age 2 years but significantly prevented eczema and especially atopic eczema . The results suggest an inverse association between atopic diseases and colonization of the gut by probiotics . CLINICAL IMPLICATION S The prevention of atopic eczema in high-risk infants is possible by modulating the infant 's gut microbiota with probiotics and prebiotics
Differences were potentially attributable to differences in infant risk , prebiotic formulation or measurement of eczema .
There is insufficient evidence to determine the role of prebiotic supplementation of infant formula for prevention of allergic disease and food hypersensitivity .
Further trials are needed to determine whether this finding persists over a longer period of time , applies to other manifestations of allergic disease , is associated with reductions in allergen sensitisation , and is reproducible
BACKGROUND The composition of the intestinal microflora may be different in individuals with atopic eczema from those without this condition , and such differences may precede the development of eczema .
Prebiotics are nondigestible food components that benefit the host by selectively stimulating the growth or activity of non-pathogenic bacteria in the colon .
Prebiotics ( commonly oligosaccharides ) added to infant feeds have the potential to prevent sensitisation of infants to dietary allergens .
OBJECTIVES To determine the effect of prebiotics given to infants for the prevention of allergic disease or food hypersensitivity .