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Probiotics and otitis media in children

Leena Niittynen1, Anne Pitkäranta, Riitta Korpela

  • 1Nutritionist Leena Niittynen, Kantotie 9, 03400 Vihti, Finland.

International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology
|February 7, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Probiotics show some promise in preventing and managing otitis media (OM) in children, with oral and nasal spray applications demonstrating potential benefits. However, more research is needed to confirm these findings and identify optimal strains.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Pediatric Infectious Diseases
  • Immunology

Background:

  • Probiotics modulate gut microbiota and immune function, offering potential for infectious disease prophylaxis.
  • Otitis media (OM) is a prevalent childhood bacterial infection, necessitating effective prevention and management strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review current knowledge on the effects of probiotics in preventing and managing otitis media in children.

Main Methods:

  • A comprehensive literature search was conducted on PubMed, including studies on probiotics and otitis media in children.
  • Additional relevant publications were identified through the reference lists of selected articles.

Main Results:

  • Limited studies exist, using diverse probiotic strains and populations.
  • Oral probiotics showed reduced OM incidence in some healthy children and newborns but were ineffective in otitis-prone children.
  • Nasal spray probiotics (alpha streptococci) improved clinical outcomes in recurrent or secretory OM in some studies.

Conclusions:

  • Preliminary results for probiotics in otitis media are promising but inconclusive due to a lack of confirmatory studies.
  • Further research is required to identify optimal probiotic strains and populations and elucidate their mechanisms of action in OM.
Abstract

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