How probiotics can protect your child from allergy

Probiotic products that are given during pregnancy, apparently can reduce the risk of allergies in future child – even if only slightly.

Probiotics are live bacteria mainly occurring in milk products such as yogurt, kefir or buttermilk, but also can be taken as capsules or in form of powder. Probiotics are considered beneficial to health, to strengthen the immune system, they relieve diarrhea and positive affect on the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome.

In recent years, more and more studies confirm the health benefits of probiotics. What influence have the bacteria to the health of infants and whether they can slow down the development of allergic diseases has not yet been clarified.

The researchers examined the extent of protect the consumption of probiotic dairy products during pregnancy and in period of early childhood. They studied influence of milk products in development of such allergic diseases as atopic dermatitis, rhinoconjunctivitis and asthma. For this the participating women had to give information on the basis of questionnaires about their consumption of dairy products and note the occurrence of allergic symptoms in their children.

Probiotics protect children against eczema.

It turned out that children of women who had taken probiotic dairy products during pregnancy, rarely suffering from atopic dermatitis and less frequently had a rhinoconjunctivitis. Even more significant was the effect, when the children took these probiotics in the first six months of life.

However, the effect was only within the first two to three years of life. At the age of 18 months, no influence of maternal consumption of probiotic foods on risk of the eczema. Probiotics must be permanently supplied if you want achieve an effect. Nevertheless, the study authors believe that a supply of probiotic dairy products can help in pregnancy to provide some protection against allergic diseases in future children.