Effect of Probiotics in the Prevention of Eczema and Atopy - Assignment Example

The study employed a randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of infants at risk of contracting allergic diseases. Expectant mothers were randomly subjected to Lactobacillus rhamnosus HN001 (L rhamnosus), HN019 (Bifidobacterium animals-subsp lactis strain (B animals), or an alternative placebo on a daily basis from the 35th week of gestation until the 6th month of breastfeeding. Their children were also randomly treated from birth for two years. Using skin prick tests to ordinary allergens, the cumulative pervasiveness of eczema, as well as the point pervasiveness of atopy were analyzed at two years.

The results showed that infants who received L rhamnosus portrayed a significantly diminished risk for contracting eczema compared with placebo, but this was not the case for B animals. Neither L rhamnosus nor B animals had any effects on atopy. When compared to B animals, L rhamnosus was more likely to be present in the infants’ and mothers’ feces in the 3rd month, although the detection rates for both probiotics were the same at 24 months. In conclusion, Wickens et al. (2008) found that when L rhamnosus and B animals were used as supplements, they posited that the former would reduce the cumulative pervasiveness of eczema, but not atopy, in infants up to two years of age.

As such, the authors called for further studies to understand the role of Lactobacilli in the prevention of eczema. L. rhamnosus HN001 treatment led to a decreased dominance of eczema by about fifty percent. Despite the fact that there also was the same reduction in both eczema related to IgE as well as non-IgE related. The clinical contribution that the study derives has to do with L rhamnosus HN001 showing a strong effect to protect against a patient exhibiting a SCORAD value ≥ 10. The study is satisfactory as it is in tandem with previous meta-analyses (Osborn, 2007, Lee, Seto, and Bielory 2008); Moreover, it is similar to Kalliomaki et al who pioneered studies in probiotics.

The high ground of this study stems from the deficiency of previous studies in analyzing their results with regard to whether the infant had eczema related to IgE. This study, ideally, reported results in both cases of IgE-related eczema as well as eczema. Additionally, this study seems to be the only research whose intervention is not prenatal. The study did not come up with tentative protective consequence effects with regard to sensitization that is arrived at by employing SPTs or RAST. This leaves gaps that can form the subject of inquiry for future research.