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Synbiotics could not reduce the scoring of childhood atopic dermatitis (SCORAD): a randomized double blind

Alireza Shafiei1, Mostafa Moin, Zahra Pourpak

  • 1Department of Allergy and Immunology, Children's Medical Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

Iranian Journal of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology
|March 2, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Synbiotic supplementation did not significantly decrease the severity of atopic dermatitis (AD) in children. This study challenges the effectiveness of synbiotics for treating childhood AD, indicating a need for further research.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Immunology
  • Gastroenterology

Background:

  • Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common inflammatory skin condition in children.
  • The efficacy of synbiotics (probiotics plus prebiotics) for AD treatment remains inconclusive.
  • Existing evidence on synbiotics for childhood AD shows variable results.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the effectiveness of synbiotic supplementation in reducing the severity of atopic dermatitis in infants and young children.
  • To determine if synbiotic intervention offers a significant benefit over placebo in managing childhood AD symptoms.

Main Methods:

  • A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involving 41 infants aged 1-36 months with moderate to severe AD.
  • Participants received daily synbiotic or placebo powder for two months, with permitted use of emollients and topical corticosteroids.
  • Severity of atopic dermatitis was assessed using the SCORAD index, alongside Skin Prick Tests (SPT), IgE levels, and eosinophil counts.

Main Results:

  • Overall, participants experienced a significant reduction in SCORAD scores (Total SCORAD decreased by 56%, Objective SCORAD by 53%).
  • No statistically significant difference was observed in the mean decrease of total SCORAD between the synbiotic group (24.2) and the placebo group (22.3).
  • Subgroup analyses based on demographic, clinical, and paraclinical factors also revealed no significant differences between the intervention groups.

Conclusions:

  • Synbiotic supplementation did not demonstrate a significant effect in decreasing the severity of atopic dermatitis in the studied pediatric population.
  • The findings do not support the use of synbiotics as an effective treatment for childhood atopic dermatitis.
  • Further research is warranted to fully elucidate the role, if any, of synbiotics in managing pediatric AD.

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