Table 3.

Lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI) and gut health parameters comparing baseline (during admission), at discharged and 4-week post-discharged from hospitalized children and randomly assigned to a double-blind treatment with either placebo (n = 50) or Probio-M8 (n = 42)

Symptoms	Parameter	Placebo			P value		Bifidobacterium lactis Probio-M8			P value
		Baseline (admission)	Discharged	4 weeks after discharged	Baseline vs. discharged	Baseline vs. 4 weeks	Baseline (admission)	Discharged	4 weeks after discharged	Baseline vs. discharged	Baseline vs. 4 weeks
General and gut	Defecate timesa	8.06 ± 0.68	9.20 ± 0.77	9.60 ± 0.61	0.239	0.021*	7.83 ± 0.56	6.74 ± 0.33	8.14 ± 0.48	0.188	0.293
	Incidence of diarrheab	8.06 ± 4.79	9.20 ± 5.45	9.60 ± 4.32	0.093	0.101	7.83 ± 3.58	6.74 ± 2.13	8.14 ± 3.14	0.004	0.528
	Incidence of RTIb	1.00 ± 0.00	0.42 ± 0.07	0.06 ± 0.03	< 0.001*	< 0.001*	1.00 ± 0.00	0.36 ± 0.07	0.17 ± 0.06	< 0.001*	< 0.001*
Respiratory (nasal duration; days)	Sneezing	0.28 ± 0.11	0.36 ± 0.16	0.04 ± 0.04	0.980	0.049*	0.48 ± 0.19	0.05 ± 0.03	0.02 ± 0.02	0.062#	0.023*
	Nose block	0.66 ± 0.16	0.88 ± 0.25	0.08 ± 0.06	0.837	0.001*	1.02 ± 0.30	0.21 ± 0.09	0.17 ± 0.08	0.087#	0.030*
	Mucus production	0.10 ± 0.07	0.22 ± 0.12	0.00 ± 0.00	0.663	0.080#	0.38 ± 0.21	0.10 ± 0.07	0.14 ± 0.10	0.378	0.406
	Runny nose	1.20 ± 0.21	1.30 ± 0.30	0.10 ± 0.10	0.459	< 0.001*	1.76 ± 0.27	0.52 ± 0.20	0.29 ± 0.12	< 0.001*	< 0.001*
Respiratory (pharyngeal duration; days)	Wheezing	0.60 ± 0.14	0.48 ± 0.16	0.00 ± 0.00	0.267	< 0.001*	1.07 ± 0.27	0.17 ± 0.06	0.00 ± 0.00	0.005*	< 0.001*
	Sore throat	0.00 ± 0.00	0.08 ± 0.06	0.00 ± 0.00	0.155	1.000	0.38 ± 0.21	0.00 ± 0.00	0.07 ± 0.07	0.042*	0.169
	Pain during swallow	0.02 ± 0.02	0.08 ± 0.06	0.00 ± 0.00	0.155	1.000	0.21 ± 0.17	0.00 ± 0.00	0.07 ± 0.07	0.154	0.559
	Hoarseness	0.16 ± 0.09	0.38 ± 0.20	0.00 ± 0.00	0.657	0.080#	0.26 ± 0.14	0.00 ± 0.00	0.02 ± 0.02	0.042*	0.156
	Cough	1.38 ± 0.24	1.64 ± 0.33	0.14 ± 0.11	0.825	< 0.001*	1.69 ± 0.29	0.52 ± 0.14	0.24 ± 0.11	0.002*	< 0.001*
Respiratory (general flu duration; days)	Poor appetite	1.48 ± 0.14	0.66 ± 0.22	0.08 ± 0.06	< 0.001*	< 0.001*	1.57 ± 0.23	0.19 ± 0.10	0.12 ± 0.05	< 0.001*	< 0.001*
	Body aches	0.00 ± 0.00	0.08 ± 0.06	0.00 ± 0.00	0.155	1.000	0.21 ± 0.17	0.00 ± 0.00	0.00 ± 0.00	0.155	0.155
	Fatigue	0.36 ± 0.11	0.38 ± 0.18	0.04 ± 0.04	0.111	0.001*	1.17 ± 0.22	0.19 ± 0.10	0.02 ± 0.02	< 0.001*	< 0.001*
	Vomit	0.24 ± 0.09	0.28 ± 0.15	0.00 ± 0.00	0.282	0.003*	0.40 ± 0.19	0.07 ± 0.04	0.00 ± 0.00	0.230	0.012*
	Headache	0.00 ± 0.00	0.04 ± 0.04	0.00 ± 0.00	0.317	1.000	0.21 ± 0.17	0.00 ± 0.00	0.00 ± 0.00	0.155	0.155
	Fever	1.60 ± 0.14	0.84 ± 0.24	0.12 ± 0.07	< 0.001*	< 0.001*	2.10 ± 0.23	0.57 ± 0.19	0.17 ± 0.08	< 0.001*	< 0.001*

Data are presented as mean value ± standard error

*P < 0.05

^#P < 0.10

^aPer week per subject

^bPer subject