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Probiotics among supplements effective in preventing atopic dermatitis in young children

Some nutritional supplements, including probiotics, were beneficial in preventing atopic dermatitis and reducing its severity in children aged younger than 3 years, according to results of a systematic literature review.

Researchers at University of California at Davis School of Medicine searched Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Medline and Latin American and Caribbean Health Science Literature for articles published from Jan. 1, 1946, to Aug. 27, 2012. They focused on randomized control trials and cohort studies examining nutritional supplementation in prevention and amelioration of atopic dermatitis (AD) among children younger than 3 years.

Among the 21 included studies, 6,859 participants — including infants or mothers who were either pregnant or breastfeeding — received supplements; 4,134 infants and mothers served as controls. In 11 of 17 studies, nutritional supplementation was shown to be effective in preventing AD, and in five of six studies, it was shown to decrease AD severity. In 10 studies, probiotics were provided to children alone or to both children and their mothers during prenatal and postnatal periods.

“The best evidence lies with probiotics supplementation in mothers and infants in preventing development and reducing severity of AD,” the researchers reported. “Specifically, Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG was effective in long-term prevention of AD development. [Gamma]-linolenic acid reduced severity of AD.”

Reducing AD development was effective with supplementation of prebiotics and black currant seed oil (BCSO). In one study, researchers supplemented mothers and infants with BCSO and found a significantly reduced prevalence of AD only among supplemented 12-month-old infants (P=.04).

Research groups that performed supplementation with an amino acid-based formula reported conflicting findings.

“Our systemic review revealed that nutritional supplementation may be an effective method in both preventing AD and decreasing its severity among infants,” the researchers concluded. “Future research elucidating the mechanisms underlying the actions of nutritional supplementation on AD is necessary.”

Disclosure: April W. Armstrong, MD, MPH, is an investigator and consultant to Modernizing Medicine, Abbott, Amgen and Janssen.