Children's Health Corner: Probiotics for a Sniffle-Free Winter

With the end of summer comes a return to school. Children everywhere trade in the fresh air and natural light of July and August for long days spent indoors with hundreds of their peers. Throw in low vitamin D levels and an increase in virus activity, and you have the perfect storm for ten months of coughs, colds, sneezes, runny noses, fevers and the flu. Parents everywhere dread the return of these illnesses in their children after a few glorious months of being symptom-free. For children just starting school or daycare for the first time, a constant cough or runny nose is almost a rite of passage for them (and their families). However, a gentle naturopathic intervention used for decades has now been shown to be an effective preventive strategy against common upper respiratory diseases.

The afore mentioned intervention is the super-supplement know as a "probiotic," which are friendly bacteria that play a role in balancing our immune system. Probiotics have long been used by naturopathic doctors in the treatment of digestive problems, allergies, asthma, infections and eczema. The evidence was outlined in the August 2009 issue of the prestigious medical journal Pediatrics (2009;124:e172–e179). In the study, 326 healthy children aged 3 - 5 were given either placebo (a non-medicinal substance), a single strain probiotic supplement (Lactobacillus acidophilus) or a combination of L. acidophilus and Bifidobacterium lactis over a period of six months.

The results were impressive. Compared to the group given placebo, supplementing with single and combination probiotics at a dosage of 10 billion colony forming units (cfu) per day reduced fever incidence by 53.0% and 72.7%, coughing incidence by 41.4% and 62.1%, and incidence of runny nose by 28.2% and 58.8%, respectively. The duration of fever, coughing, and runny nose was decreased significantly, relative to placebo, by 32% in the single strain group and 48% in the group receiving the combination probiotic. The need for antibiotics was also reduced relative to placebo, by 68.4% in the single and 84.2% in the combination group. And perhaps most practically, children receiving probiotic products had significant reductions in days absent from group child care, by 31.8% for single strain and 27.7% in the strain combination group. This means fewer lost work days for parents as well, since they have to take fewer days off to care for a sick child. Taking a wider economic view, the impact that a simple supplement can have on global workforce productivity has the potential to be substantial.

While the study only looked at the effects of probiotics on young children, it is reasonable to expect that the reduction in incidence and duration of symptoms will be observed in older children and adults as well, based on what we already know about the role probiotics play in enhancing our immune systems.

Probiotics are readily available, inexpensive and safe for children of all ages. Parents and teachers everywhere should embrace these findings, and begin supplementing now to prevent these common illnesses in their children and themselves. The findings should be welcomed with particular enthusiasm given the high level of anxiety around last year's H1N1 pandemic. Here is a completely safe intervention that has demonstrated efficacy in the prevention of upper respiratory diseases in young children, a population considered "high risk" during the most recent flu pandemic. Parents everywhere can now feel empowered that they can do something to keep their children healthy, regardless of the virus that is circulating. While the study does not specifically touch on the prevention of seasonal influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), or diarrheal infections such as rotavirus, naturopathic clinical experience supports the effectiveness of probiotic supplementation in the prevention of these diseases in children as well.

While the above data is impressive, it is important to note that probiotics are just a starting point when it comes to optimizing your child's immune function. There are many more nutritional, botanical and homeopathic substances that can be combined with probiotics to enhance our resistance to diseases. An individualized health plan prescribed by an ND can greatly enhance immunity against a wide number of infections, and can keep children and families healthy all winter long. Talk to your ND today to discuss a plan for your family.

** Learn about more naturopathic options to prevent and treat the flu naturally at 2 FREE info sessions, on Monday September 20 and Monday October 18, from 7pm – 8:30pm.

** Learn about vaccination options for your child as well as naturopathic approaches to disease prevention in a relaxed, non-judgmental information session, Saturday, Sept 25 from 10am – 1pm. Cost: $20 / family. Children welcome.

** The Naturopathic Children's Health Clinic at OIHC is now open! As Ottawa's only naturopathic clinic with a NDs focusing in pediatrics, we offer the following specialized services for your children:

Prenatal support

Well baby visits from birth to 24 months

Walk- in visits for acute conditions

Complete naturopathic primary care for acute and chronic childhood conditions

Vaccination resources, support and seminars

Natural immune support options for the entire family

Home visits

After hours phone consultations

High quality natural children's dispensary for your convenience

Food allergy and intolerance testing

For more information, please call 613-798-1000.