Tuesday, October 11, 2005

Probiotics help dermatitis in children

Children given a probiotic supplement for four months showed a significant improvement in symptoms of atopic dermatitis, said Australian researchers this month.

The new study adds to previous research by the University of Helsinki into the merits of probiotics on dermatitis in children, but uses an independent analysis index to confirm the results.

Twenty-seven children aged between 6-18 months were given 1 billion cfu of L fermentum freeze-dried powder twice daily for 16 weeks. The remaining children received maltodextran without probiotics twice daily for the same duration.

Results indicated that the reduction in the SCORAD severity scale over time was significant in the probiotic group – 92 per cent scored better at 16 weeks than at baseline – but not the placebo group.

Further tests proved that the probiotic group enjoyed a reduction in severe AD symptoms, with 54 per cent recording a drop from acute to mild AD, compared with the placebo group who saw a 30 per cent decline in severe conditions.

The SCORAD index, originally developed by the European Task Force on AD as a referent clinical severity scale, scores the extent and subjective symptoms according to clinically approved consensus agreed by more than 20 dermatologists.

Courtesy of nutraingredients.com

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