Asthma, Eczema Risk Unaffected by Early Probiotics

Early probiotic exposure does not prevent the development of eczema or asthma in infants, according to the findings of a recent study.

The randomized, double-blind, controlled trial included 184 infants at high-risk for developing eczema, asthma, and rhinitis. For the first 6-months of life, 92 infants received 10 billion colony-forming units of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) and 225 mg of inulin a day, and 92 infants received 325 mg of inulin alone each day. Infants were followed for a median 4.6 years. Survival analysis was used to estimate disease incidence in the presence or absence of LGG and to estimate the efficacy of LGG for delaying or preventing asthma, eczema, and rhinitis.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
RELATED CONTENT
Can Probiotics for Moms and Infants Help Prevent Pediatric Eczema?
Probiotics Linked to Lower Risk of Allergies For Kids
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
At 2 years of age, the estimated cumulative incidence of eczema was 30.9% for infants who received inulin alone and 28.7% for infants who received LGG and inulin (hazard ratio 0.95). The cumulative incidence of asthma at 5 years of age was 17.4% for infants who received inulin alone and was 9.7% for infants who received LGG and inulin (hazard ratio 0.88). 

“For high-risk infants, early LGG supplementation for the first 6 months of life does not appear to prevent the development of eczema or asthma at 2 years of age,” the researchers concluded.

—Melissa Weiss

Reference:

Cabana MD, McKean M, Caughey AB, et al. Early probiotic supplementation for eczema and asthma prevention: a randomized controlled trial [published online August 7, 2017]. Pediatrics. doi:10.1542/peds.2016-3000.