Study Finds Probiotic Bacteria Can Prevent Allergies in Children

The journal Lancet reports that Finnish researchers found that ingestion of harmless Lactobacillus bacteria by pregnant and nursing mothers lowers the incidence of the skin allergy, atopic eczema, in their young children who are at high risk (Children at high risk, he said, are those whose mother, father or older sibling has asthma, atopic eczema or allergic rhinitis.) The study tracked children for up to four years after birth. A Reuters story explained that "...25 of 54 children in the placebo group had developed allergic eczema, a condition in which the skin becomes irritated, red and itchy. But just 14 of the 53 children who had received probiotics developed the skin condition -- a 43-percent reduction, according to report."