Lee Swanson Research Update

Probiotics and Immunity in Infants

May 2004

Infants can safely consume probiotic bacteria and experience a reduction in colic and irritability, according to a study completed at Johns Hopkins University School of medicine.

Researchers noted that "nonpathogenic live bacteria are consumed as food by many children, particularly in the form of yogurt." They added however that "the tolerance and safety of long-term consumption of specific types and strains of probiotic bacteria are not well documented."

To establish tolerance and safety, researchers conducted a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study. "The goal was to evaluate tolerance to formulas containing two levels of probiotic supplementation and effects on growth, general clinical status and intestinal health in free-living healthy infants."

The study included 118 infants ranging in age between three and 24 months. The participants were assigned to receive a standard milk-based formula containing equal doses of Bifidobacterium lactis and Streptococcus thermophilus, or a formula containing lower doses of each strain of bacteria or an unsupplemented formula. The study lasted 210 days during which none of the infants were breast-fed.

According to researchers, the supplemented formulas were well accepted and were associated with a lower frequency of reported colic or irritability and a lower frequency of antibiotic use than was the unsupplemented formula. They concluded that "long-term consumption of formulas supplemented with B. lactis and S. thermophilus was well tolerated and safe."

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition79(2):261-267, 2004

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