Probiotic May Reduce Symptoms of Upper Respiratory Infections in Children

 A recent study has found that supplementing with a combination of two probiotic strains may help reduce the duration and severity of symptoms in children with upper respiratory tract infections.

Seventy children with an average age of 2.5 years who were diagnosed with pharyngitis or tonsillitis participated in the study. They received 4 billion CFUs of Limosilactobacillus reuteri ATCC PTA 5289 and Limosilactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938 or a placebo daily for 10 days. The researchers evaluated the duration of respiratory symptoms, number of days with fever, severity of sore throat, runny nose, nasal congestion, and inflammatory biomarkers.

Participants in the probiotic group had an average of 3.1 days with respiratory symptoms, compared to 5.2 days in the placebo group. They also only experienced an average of 1.8 days with fever, compared to 3.6 days in the placebo group.

The severity of sore throat in the probiotic group was significantly lower by day 3 compared to the placebo group. In addition, the probiotic group had significantly fewer days with runny nose and nasal congestion, and lower levels of inflammatory biomarkers.

The study was conducted by researchers from Hospital General Dr. Manuel Gea Gonzalez. It was published online ahead of print on April 1, 2021 in the journal Beneficial Microbes.