Probiotics and Child Care Absence Due to Infections: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Health
• Microbiome Research
• Infectious Disease Prevention

Background:

• Children in child care settings face a higher risk of infections.
• Infant infections lead to significant caregiver absence from work.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of a probiotic combination in reducing child care absences due to respiratory and gastrointestinal infections in infants.
• To assess the impact of probiotics on infant illness symptoms and healthcare utilization.

Main Methods:

• A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involving 290 infants aged 8-14 months.
• Infants received daily probiotics (Bifidobacterium animalis subsp lactis and Lactobacillus rhamnosus) or placebo for 6 months.
• Absences, illness symptoms, and doctor visits were recorded via web-based questionnaires.

Main Results:

• No significant difference in median child care absence days between probiotic and placebo groups (P = .19).
• Secondary outcomes, including respiratory infections, doctor visits, antibiotic use, diarrhea, and common cold symptoms, also showed no differences.
• Caregiver absence from work was not affected by probiotic intervention.

Conclusions:

• Daily administration of Bifidobacterium animalis subsp lactis and Lactobacillus rhamnosus for 6 months did not reduce child care absences in healthy infants.
• The probiotic combination showed no significant benefit in preventing common childhood infections or related healthcare needs.