Can probiotics prevent eczema in children?
Australia has one of the highest rates of allergy worldwide. In the past 30 years the number of children affected by eczema, asthma and allergic rhinitis has more than doubled, with one in three Australian kids now suffering some kind of allergy.
Eczema (atopic dermatitis) is a recurring, non-infectious, inflammatory skin condition that causes dry, red, itchy and scaly skin that may in severe cases weep or bleed. It usually appears within the first six to twelve months of life, is often associated with food allergy and can be followed by the development of asthma and allergic rhinitis. Like other allergic diseases, eczema is not usually curable.
A recent study in Finland found that the risk of eczema was halved by giving a probiotic called Lactobacillus GG (LGG) to mothers during pregnancy and to their babies for six months after birth.
The allergy and immune disorders group will test this theory when over 450 participants are given daily capsules of either LGG or a placebo during the last month of their pregnancy. Their babies will then be monitored until 24 months of age.