Multi-Strain Probiotic and Common Infections in Early Childhood Education Settings: A Randomised Controlled Trial.

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Health
• Microbiome Research
• Infectious Disease Prevention

Background:

• Common infections pose a significant burden in early childhood education (ECE) settings.
• Probiotics are explored for their potential to modulate the gut microbiome and enhance immune responses.
• Limited research exists on multi-strain probiotics for infection prevention in ECE populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of a multi-strain probiotic in reducing the incidence of common infections among children in ECE.
• To assess the impact of probiotic supplementation on gastrointestinal tract infections (GITIs) and respiratory tract infections (RTIs).
• To determine the cost-effectiveness of probiotic use for infection prevention in this age group.

Main Methods:

• A 24-week, prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.
• Involved 118 children in ECE settings, randomly assigned to receive a 5-strain probiotic (10 billion CFU/day) or placebo.
• Weekly questionnaires tracked infection incidence; intention-to-treat analysis was performed.

Main Results:

• A 62% reduction in GITIs was observed in the probiotic group compared to placebo (IRR: 1.62, p=0.055) after 16 weeks.
• A significant protective effect of probiotics on GITIs emerged after 8 weeks of supplementation.
• No significant impact on RTIs was found; probiotic use yielded an estimated AU$4748 cost saving related to reduced GITIs.

Conclusions:

• Multi-strain probiotic supplementation shows potential for reducing GITIs in children attending ECE.
• Probiotics did not demonstrate a significant effect on RTIs, despite a high number of infections recorded.
• Further large-scale, multi-arm trials are recommended to confirm these findings and explore broader applications.