Suggested beneficial effects of probiotics in infants and children include:
Infectious diarrhoea | Confirmed |
Antibiotic-associated diarrhoea | Confirmed preventative effect Unconfirmed therapeutic effect |
Lactose intolerance | Confirmed effect |
Inflammatory bowel disease | Possible effect |
Allergy | Possible preventative effect Possible therapeutic effect |
Certain probiotic Lactobacilli are clinically documented and the safety of these strains have been verified, even in infants.
They represent an interesting potential for the prevention and treatment of immunologically mediated disorders such as allergy and autoimmunity. This is in addition to the already elucidated benefits, which include prevention and treatment of infectious diarrhoea, antibiotic-associated diarrhoea and lactose intolerance.
Prof. Bengt Björkstén MD, PhD
Prof.em. of Paediatrics and Allergy prevention
Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden