Table 3.
Results of included studies conducted in children (Mean values and standard deviations)
| Study | Condition | Duration of treatment (months) | Treatments | Age (years) | Number randomised (included in the analysis) | Percentage of females | Number (%) of participants with at least one illness episode | Number of illness episodes | Duration of illness episodes (d) | Number of days of illness | Number of days absent | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean | sd | Mean | sd | Mean | sd | Mean | sd | ||||||||
| Cáceres et al. ( 23 ) | Acute RTI | 3 | L. rhamnosus HN001 | 3·1 | 1·1 | 203 (170) | 52·7 | NR | 172* | 20·4 | 14·4 | NR | 4·70 | 5·5 | |
| Placebo | 3·2 | 1·0 | 195 (179) | 50·8 | NR | 181 | 19·4 | 14·8 | NR | 4·05 | 5·6 | ||||
| Cazzola et al. ( 20 ) | Common winter diseases | 3 | L. helveticus R0052, Bifidobacterium infantis R0033, and Bifidobacterium bifidum R0071+750 mg FOS† | 4·1 | 1·0 | 62 (62) | 46·8 | 29‡ (47 %) | 64§ | NR | NR | 2·11 | 2·1 | ||
| Placebo | 4·2 | 1·1 | 73 (50) | 46·6 | 43 (86 %) | 87§ | 2·88 | 2·8 | |||||||
| Hatakka (2007, unpublished results) and Hatakka et al. ( 18 ) | GI and RI | 7 | L. rhamnosus GG | 4·6 | 1·5 | Unclear (282) | 46 | 97 (34 %) | NR | NR | NR∥ | 4·9 | NR¶ | ||
| Placebo | 4·4 | 1·5 | Unclear (289) | 52 | 123 (43 %) | 5·8 | NR | ||||||||
| Hojsak et al. ( 28 ) | Respiratory symptoms | Median: 5 d | L. rhamnosus GG | 9·9 | 5·1 | 376 (376) | 49·2 | 8 (2 %) | NR | NR r | 8 (2·1 %)** | NR | |||
| Placebo | 10·6 | 5·0 | 366 (366) | 44·3 | 20 (6 %) | NR | NR r | 19 (5·2 %)** | NR | ||||||
| Hojsak et al. ( 29 ) | Respiratory symptoms | 3 | L. rhamnosus GG | 51·9 months (13–86) | 139 (139) | 43·9 | 60 (43 %) | NR | NR | 39 (28·1 %)** | 3·1 | 3·6†† | |||
| Placebo | 53·6 months (13–83) | 142 (142) | 44·4 | 96 (68 %) | 70 (49·3 %)** | 5·1 | 3·6 | ||||||||
| Kloster Smerud et al. ( 27 ) | Gastrointestinal and respiratory symptoms | 7 | Biola (L. rhamnosus GG with L. acidophilus LA-5 and Bifidobacterium lactis BB-12) | Over both groups: 18 months | 117 (97) | NR | 92‡ (95 %) | 492 | 5·39 | 7·89‡ | 5·35 | 3·97‡ | 7·5 | 5·0†† | |
| Placebo | Over both groups: 18 months | 123 (102) | NR | 95 (93 %) | 564 | 4·69 | 5·19 | 5·94 | 3·77 | 8·5 | 5·0 | ||||
| Kumpu et al. ( 19 ) | Respiratory symptoms | 28 weeks | L. rhamnosus GG | 4·0 | 1·3 | 261 (251) | 47 | 239 (95 %) | NR | Median 8 d (IQR 5–12) | 5·03‡‡ | 0·88 | NR | ||
| Placebo | 4·0 | 1·4 | 262 (250) | 47 | 236 (94 %) | NR | Median 8 d (IQR 5–12) | 5·17 | 0·96 | NR | |||||
| Leyer et al. ( 7 ) | Cold and influenza-like symptoms | 6 | L. acidophilus NCFM | 3·7 | 0·7 | 110 (110) | 57 | NR | NR | NR | 4·5 | 4·7 | 3·6 | 3·7‡ | |
| L. acidophilus NCFM and Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis Bi-07 | 3·8 | 0·6 | 112 (112) | 52·7 | NR | NR | NR | 3·4 | 3·7 | 3·8 | 3·9 | ||||
| Placebo | 4·1 | 0·54 | 104 (104) | 57·7 | NR | NR | NR | 6·5 | 7·3 | 5·2 | 5·7 | ||||
| Merenstein et al. ( 21 ) | CID§§ | 90 d | DanActive (L. paracasei subsp. casei DN-114001 with Streptococcus thermophilus and L. bulgaricus) | 4·86 | 1·12 | 314 (250 households) | 50 | NR | NR | NR | NR | 421·5 d ‡absent (1·69 d/household) | |||
| Placebo | 4·94 | 1·13 | 324 (250 households) | 46·9 | NR | NR | NR | NR | 463·0 d absent (1·85 d/household) | ||||||
| Prodeus et al. ( 26 ) | Upper RI | 3 | L. paracasei subsp. casei DN-114001 with S. thermophilus+ L. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus | Over both groups: 4 | 300 (300) | Overall 45·7 | 66 (22 %) | 98∥∥ | NR | NR | 5·68 | 4·01‡ | |||
| Placebo | Over both groups: 4 | 299 (299) | 73 (24 %) | 93∥∥ | NR | NR | 5·64 | 3·67 |
RTI, respiratory tract infections; NR, not reported; FOS, fructo-oligosaccharides; GI, gastrointestinal infections; RI, respiratory infections; IQR, interquartile range; CID, common infectious diseases.
The total number of illness episodes was calculated from the total number of illness episodes per child (included in the analysis).
Although this study used FOS along with probiotic and did not use it in the control, the level of FOS was only 750 mg, which is considered to be below an active dose( 32 , 33 ).
Data obtained from the study authors.
‘Health events’.
The authors stated that the number of days with symptoms was lower in the treatment group, but the difference was not significant.
To calculate mean difference and 95 % CI, standard deviation was calculated from the CI.
Children with a RTI that lasted >3 d.
Standard deviation was calculated from the P value.
Number of days with at least one respiratory symptom per subject per month.
CID included upper RTI, lower RTI and gastrointestinal tract infections.
Number of CID.