Evaluation of Probiotic Use in Children With and Without Allergic Diseases

Abstract

Aim: Various studies have reported that probiotics play a role in immune modulation and in preventing the development of allergic diseases by affecting the intestinal flora. However, there is no clear consensus on this subject yet. This study aimed to evaluate the usage of probiotics in children with and without allergic diseases. Method: Probiotic usage of children (<18 years old) with and without allergic disease, who applied to the tertiary care pediatric immunology and allergic diseases clinic between 26,December 2023 and 26,January 2024, was evaluated cross-sectionally. Demographic characteristics of the patients, presence of allergic diseases, exposure to pets and cigarettes, and probiotic use (at any time and during the neonatal period) were recorded. Results: A total of 381 patients (57.7% male) with a median age of 7,5 years(IQR:5-10,7) were included in the study. Of the children 269 (70.6%) with allergic disease and 112 (29.4%) without allergic disease. A total of 190 (49.8%) patients had used probiotics at any time; of these, 77 (40.5%) used for colic in the neonatal period. When patients with and without allergic diseases were compared, the median age, time of birth, type of birth, frequency of family atopic diseases, smoking exposure, pet exposure and frequency of probiotic usage at any time were similar (p respectively: 0.283, 0.507, 0.909,0.122, 0.308,0.486,0.552). Male gender (62%) was more common in those with allergic diseases,(p:0.008). Probiotic usage during the neonatal period was higher in patients without allergic diseases than in those with allergic diseases (32.1% vs 15.2%; p: <0.001). Conclusion: Our study found that half of the children had used probiotics at some point in their lives. Notably, probiotic use during the neonatal period was higher among children without allergic diseases compared to those with allergic diseases, supporting the hypothesis that early-life probiotic supplementation may have a protective effect against atopic diseases. However, differences between the type, dose, and duration of probiotics administered in the studies cause difficulties in comparing and generalizing the results. So, standard, molecular level and with longer follow-up periods studies are needed.

Keywords

• allergic diseases
• allergic rhinitis
• asthma
• atopic dermatitis
• food allergy
• probiotics
• prophylaxis

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