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On the Knowledge and Prescription of Probiotics by Pediatric Providers: A Cross-Sectional Study
Uzma Rani1,2, Julie Ehrlich1,3, Ghina Fakhri1
1State University of New York Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA.
Insights
Pediatric providers show gaps in understanding probiotics, with about half misdefining them. Despite this, most clinicians are asked about probiotics and many prescribe them, particularly for antibiotic-associated diarrhea.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Medicine
- Microbiome Research
- Gastroenterology
Background:
- The efficacy and safety of probiotics for therapeutic or prophylactic use remain incompletely understood.
- There is a need to evaluate the current knowledge and clinical application of probiotics among healthcare professionals caring for children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the knowledge and practice patterns regarding probiotic use in pediatric patients among pediatric providers.
- To identify potential gaps in understanding and application of probiotic therapy in pediatric care.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional survey was administered to members of the American Academy of Pediatrics, New York Chapter 1.
- Data were collected from 168 responding pediatric providers regarding their knowledge and prescribing habits of probiotics.
Main Results:
- Approximately 50% of respondents could not correctly define probiotics, confusing them with prebiotics and synbiotics.
- Nearly all practitioners (97%) were queried by families about probiotics, and 60% had prescribed them, most commonly for antibiotic-associated diarrhea.
- While a significant association between practice type and probiotic prescription existed, it diminished after adjustments; increased practitioner experience correlated with lower odds of prescription.
Conclusions:
- General pediatric providers demonstrate insufficient knowledge regarding probiotics.
- Despite knowledge deficits, most providers recommended continuing probiotics if families were already using them for a specific condition.
- Further research with larger, nationally representative samples is warranted to better understand probiotic use in pediatrics.
Objective:
The therapeutic or prophylactic efficacy and safety of probiotics are not well established. The objective of this study was to assess the knowledge and practice of probiotic use in children among pediatric providers.
Methods:
This was a cross-sectional study of pediatric providers. A survey was sent to the members of the American Academy of Pediatrics, New York Chapter 1.
Results:
We received 168 responses. Participants were mostly females (70%) and with MD or equivalent education (93%). About 50% of responders did not select the correct definition of probiotics and confused probiotics with prebiotics and synbiotics. About 97% of practitioners were asked about the merits of probiotics by families, and 60% of respondents had prescribed probiotics in their clinical practice. The most common indication for prescription was for treatment of antibiotic-associated diarrhea. When asked about their recommendation for a family who had already started probiotics, 66% of the providers recommended continuing the probiotics. There was a significant association between the frequency of probiotics prescription and the type of practice (p < 0.05). However, this association disappeared after adjusting for age, gender, education, and years of practice. The more experienced the practitioner, the lower the odds were of prescribing probiotics (p < 0.05).
Conclusions:
There was inadequate knowledge about probiotics among general pediatric providers. Of the pediatricians asked about probiotics, most recommended continuing them if a family was using probiotics for a specific condition. Studies with a larger nationally representative sample are required for future research.
