Jennifer Garcia
10 February 2012

Infants exposed to Lactobacillus rhamnosus through diet supplements from 35 weeks' gestation through 2 years of age had a significantly lower risk for eczema and rhinoconjunctivitis. The protective effect lasted until the children were at least 4 years of age, according to a study published online February 6 in Clinical and Experimental Allergy.

The researchers, led by Kristin Wickens, PhD, from the Wellington Asthma Research Group, Wellington School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Otago, New Zealand, and colleagues, followed 425 infants for 4 years after daily supplementation with L rhamnosus (HN001; 6 × 109 colony-forming units [cfu]/day), Bifidobacterium animalis subsp lactis (HN019; 9 × 109 cfu/day), or placebo. Mothers received supplements from 35 weeks' gestation until their child's birth, continuing to 6 months after birth if they were breast-feeding, and all infants received supplements from birth until age 2 years.

Read more: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/758431