3. Other parameters for quality assessment of included studies.
| Study | Clarity of methods | Compliance | Dietary management |
| Brouwer 2006 | Clear | No compliance measures described | Adequate exclusion of other probiotics during the study |
| Cukrowska 2008 | Total daily dose of intervention clear, but individual dose, frequency, and mode of administration not given | No compliance measures reported | Not stated |
| Drago 2012 | Clear | Dose count (returned sachet packets counted by clinical investigator). Compliance measured for the 2 groups: 84.5% and 84.7%. No significant difference | Clear instructions given: no change in usual diet but avoid any type of fermented food containing live micro‐organisms |
| Drago 2014 | Clear | No information provided | No information provided |
| Farid 2011 | Aims and Interventions clear. Outcomes not clear and baseline severity (SCORAD) not given | No information given | Inadequate information |
| Flinterman 2007 | Aims, interventions clear | Inadequate information | Inadequate information |
| Folster‐Holst 2006 | Clear | No compliance measures reported | Not stated |
| Gerasimov 2010 | Total daily dose of probiotics not clear. Remaining methods clear | Compliance checked from the parental report and the weight of remaining powder. Reported that there were no differences in compliance between the 2 groups | No information on adequate exclusion of other probiotics from the diet. Participants with challenge proved milk or egg allergy followed milk or egg elimination diet, respectively |
| Goebel 2010 | Clear | Compliance based on count of remaining capsules: average 94% for all groups and 93.6%, 95%, and 93.3% for Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, and placebo groups, respectively. No significant difference in compliance between the 3 groups (P = 0.6). No participating child had compliance lower than 72% | No information given |
| Gore 2011 | All methods clear Reporting of adverse events suggests that these were the result of the change in formula but the numbers are totals from intervention and control groups, and it is not certain whether the AEs are associated with the formula or the probiotics |
No compliance measures reported | Instructions given that other fermented or probiotic‐containing products were to be avoided |
| Gromert 2009 | Inadequate information available | No information | No information |
| Gruber 2007 | Unclear what the placebo was; otherwise clear | 92.5% of doses taken by probiotic group; 94.4% by placebo group | Not stated, other than encouragement to avoid allergens |
| Guo 2015 | Dose and exact consistency of probiotics unclear | No information | No information |
| Han 2012 | Preparation of the intervention not clear. Otherwise clear | No compliance measure described | Clear instructions not to consume fermented food and products containing live micro‐organisms |
| Hol 2008 | Trial designed to study effects of probiotics in participants with cow's milk allergy. Effects of probiotics on eczema ‐ secondary outcome. Aims, interventions, and outcome measures clear | Compliance measure not presented. "To optimise compliance, participants were supplied with study formula through the study team and batches were delivered at home" | No information provided |
| Iemoli 2012 | Clear | Method: count of return sachets. Reported that compliance was similar in the 2 groups but no measures reported | Instructions given so that participants do not change their diet during trial but should avoid fermented food products containing live micro‐organisms |
| Isolauri 2000 | Unclear ‐ dose and duration of probiotic treatment received not clearly described. Severity of participant eczema at baseline not described | No compliance measures reported | Not stated |
| Ivankhnenko 2013 | Placebo not described. Otherwise methods clear | No compliance measures reported | Not stated |
| Kirjavainen 2003 | Unclear ‐ intended duration of study treatment not stated | No compliance measures reported | Not stated |
| Lin 2015 | Exact dose of probiotics not given | No information provided | No information provided |
| Majamaa 1997 | Unclear ‐ precise dose of probiotic received by participants not stated | No compliance measures described | Not stated |
| Matsumoto 2014 | Clear | No information provided | Clearly stated: "All patients were asked to avoid probiotic supplements, fermented milk, lactic acid bacterial drinks and fermented soybean (natto) during the experimental period…" |
| Nermes 2010 | Clear | No compliance measures reported | Not stated |
| Passeron 2006 | Clear | No compliance measures described | Not stated |
| Roessler 2007 | Clear | No compliance measures described | Adequate exclusion of prebiotics and probiotics 3 weeks before the start and during the 20 weeks of the intervention |
| Rosenfeldt 2003 | Clear | No compliance measures described | Adequate exclusion of other probiotics during study |
| Shafiei 2011 | Intervention type not clear: synbiotic mixture of 7 strains of probiotics and fructo‐oligosaccharide. Dose, frequency of intake, and preparation clear Baseline characteristics given only for participants who completed the trial |
No compliance measures reported | Unclear. Stated that participants did not change diet before or during the trial |
| Sistek 2006 | Clear | Assessed by 2 telephone calls | One participant noted to have taken non‐study probiotic |
| Taniuchi 2005 | Clear | No compliance measures described | Not stated |
| Van der Aa 2010 | Clear | No compliance measures reported. Participants' parents were keeping diary for formula intake and adverse events. Formula with intervention was given on demand and at the end of intervention. No significant differences in formula intake were noted between the 2 groups | Unclear |
| Viljanen 2005 | Method for diagnosing eczema not described | No compliance measures described | Not stated |
| Wang 2015 | All clear. In the publication, not clear what the placebo was, but this was clarified by the study author | Yes: capsule count performed | Yes Stated: "During the study…and other probiotics were not permitted" |
| Weston 2005 | Clear | Sachet counts and parent‐completed sachet administration chart. Good compliance (94%) ‐ no differences between the 2 groups | Adequate exclusion of other probiotics during study |
| Woo 2010 | Clear | No measure of compliance was reported, but it was stated that the 2 groups had no difference in compliance | No information provided |
| Wu 2012 | Aims, interventions, and outcome measures clear. Exclusion criteria not given | Patients and parents were to return to investigators all unused intervention. No measure was reported | Instruction given to parents not to feed their children other probiotic preparations during the intervention |
| Wu 2015 | Aims, interventions, and outcome measures clear. Dose of probiotic not given in colony‐forming units, or similar measure of bacterial numbers | Compliance recorded: assessed based on a count of returned medication | No information provided |
| Yang 2014 | All clear | No information given | Instructions given to avoid any commercial probiotic‐containing products 2 weeks before study initiation. No comment about diet during the trial |
| Yesilova 2012 | All clear | No information provided | No information provided |
| Yoshida 2010 | Placebo not described. Otherwise clear | No compliance measures reported | No information given |
SCORAD: Severity Scoring of Atopic Dermatitis.