From British Journal of Dermatology
Background: Previous reports have suggested that certain probiotics given to mothers and children at risk of atopy halves the incidence of atopic dermatitis (AD) at two years of age.
Objectives: The purpose of this trial was to examine if probiotics given to pregnant women in a non-selected population could prevent atopic sensitization or allergic diseases during the child’s first two years.
Methods: In a randomised, double-blind trial of children from a non-selected maternal population (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00159523), women received probiotic milk or placebo from 36 weeks of gestation to three months postnatally during breastfeeding. The probiotic milk contained Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, Lactobacillus acidophilus La-5 and Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis Bb-12. Children with an itchy rash for more than four weeks were consecutively assessed for AD. At two years of age, all children were assessed for atopic sensitisation, AD, asthma and allergic rhinoconjunctivitis (ARC). The intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis was enabled by multiple imputations.
Results: Four hundred and fifteen pregnant women were computer-randomised. At two years, 138 and 140 children in the probiotic and the placebo groups, respectively, were assessed. In the ITT analysis, the odds ratio for the cumulative incidence of AD was 0.51 in the probiotic group compared with the placebo (95% CI, 0.30-0.87; p=0.013). There were no significant effects on asthma (odds ratio, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.26-1.80; p=0.437), or atopic sensitisation (odds ratio, 1.52; 95% CI, 0.74-3.14; p=0.254).
Conclusions: Probiotics given to non-selected mothers reduced the cumulative incidence of AD, but had no effect on atopic sensitization.
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George’s Comments: There have been studies that showed administering probiotics during pregnancy reduced the incidence of asthma. However these were administered with milk. Pasteurized milk has been shown to increase the incidence of asthma in several studies. There have been a plethora of studies showing the benefits of probiotics during pregnancy so it is something that pregnant women need to consider as a supplement.