RESUMO
BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Evidence suggests that the long-term consumption of probiotics may help in reducing the incidence of or modifying acute respiratory infection (ARI). We assessed the role of the short-term use of probiotics in ARI in children. SUBJECTS/METHODS: This was a randomized, double-blind, controlled study that enrolled 315 children with 90 dropouts. On the first day of appearance of a sick household member, otherwise healthy children of both sexes aged 3-12 years were allocated to receive Lactobacillus acidophilus DDS-1 and Bifidobacterium lactis UABLA-12 (Up4-Junior) in a dose of 5 billion colony-forming units daily with 50 mg of fructooligosaccharide (the probiotic group) or rice maltodexrin (the control group). Test supplementation and follow-up lasted for 2 weeks or until the end of the secondary ARI in a child. The primary outcome measure was the incidence of ARI. Time to resolution and the severity of ARI served the secondary outcome measures. RESULTS: In all, 64 of 113 children in the probiotic group (57%) and 73 of 112 children in the control group (65%) developed ARI (P=0.261). Time to resolution of the secondary ARI was shorter in the probiotic group (5.0 (interquartile range (IQR): 4.0-6.0) vs 7.0 (IQR: 6.0-8.0) days, P<0.001). The median severity of ARI was 240 (IQR: 163-350) score-days in the probiotic vs 525 (IQR: 364-736) score-days in the control group (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The short-term use of probiotics does not reduce the incidence, but shortens ARI in preschool and elementary school children.