Probiotics during Pregnancy

Probiotics administered during pregnancy and lactation appears to promote the immunoprotective potential of breast-feeding, according to Finnish clinicians.

The probiotics also protect infants against atopic eczema during the first two years, they say.

There is a growing incidence of atopic diseases in the Western world and researchers acknowledge the need to offer primary protection to reverse the trend. The ideal source of infant nutrition to provide protection from these diseases is breast-milk. Its role, however, is elusive.

Paediatricians at the University of Turku, in Finland, undertook a double-blind, placebo controlled study to determine the potential for protection against atopic diseases by administering probiotics. Participants included 62 mother-infant pairs.

Mothers who received probiotics during pregnancy and lactation improved their anti-inflammatory transforming growth b 2 (TGF-b 2) in their milk (2885 pg/ml [95 percent confidence interval (CI), 1624-4146]. By comparison mothers given placebos had 1340 pg/ml in their milk (95 percent CI, 978-1702].

In addition, it was shown that the risk of developing atopic eczema during the infants first two years was significantly reduced compared with the placebo group. (15 percent and 47 percent respectively; relative risk, 0.32 [95 percent CI, o.12-0.85].

Researchers concluded that maternal atopy was a positive risk for atopic eczema in the infant. In addition infants who appeared to benefit the most from maternal probiotics supplementation were those whose cord blood Immunoglobulin E (IgE) concentration was elevated.
Journal of Allergy & Clinical Immunology 2002 Vol 109 No 1 pp 119-121. "Probiotics during pregnancy and breast-feeding might confer immunomodulatory protection against atopic disease in the infant"

By Veronica Rose