Probiotic Supplements Reduce Risk of Eczema in Infants

A specific strain of probiotics -- good bacteria that live in the digestive tract -- can cut in half the risk of infants developing eczema, according to a study conducted at the University of Otago in New Zealand.

Kristen Wickens, PhD, and her colleagues asked pregnant women to take one of two strains of probiotics or placebos beginning at the eighth month of pregnancy and continuing for six months postpartum if they breastfed their babies. In addition, 474 infants received the same treatment from birth to two years of age.

Infants receiving supplemental Lactobacillus rhamnosus were 49 percent less likely to develop eczema, which is also known as atopic dermatitis. Infants that did develop eczema tended to have less severe forms, compared with babies that received either the other type of probiotic or placebos.

Other research has shown that intestinal bacteria help regulate the immune system and have anti-inflammatory effects.

Reference: Wickens K, Black PN, Stanley TV, et al. "A differential effect of 2 probiotics in the prevention of eczema and atopy: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial." Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 2008;122: 788-794.