BACKGROUND:

Probiotic functional foods are widely advertised to consumers primarily based on probiotic supplements.

OBJECTIVE:

Determine if consumption of yogurt containing a high dose of probiotics improves health in children ages 1-3 years attending daycare/school centers.

SUBJECTS/METHODS:

Double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled, allocation concealment clinical trial.

SETTING:

Outpatient participants in the Washington, DC area.

PARTICIPANTS:

182 healthy children between the age of 1 and 3 years attending daycare/school at least 3 days a week.

INTERVENTION:

Active was a strawberry yogurt-based drink supplemented with Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis (B. lactis) BB-12. The placebo was indistinguishable from the active drink, differing only in absence of the probiotic BB-12. Primary objective was to determine if consumption of a probiotic-containing yogurt-based drink decreases absences due to illnesses from daycare for children ages 1-3 years. Secondary was to determine if probiotic-containing yogurt-based drink improves overall parental satisfaction due to decreased absences from work and an overall healthier child.

RESULTS:

There were no significant differences in the days of missed school per group, with 51.9% in the active group and 47.1% in the placebo group missing at least 1 day of school throughout the study. Additionally, there were no differences in any secondary outcomes among the groups.

CONCLUSIONS:

Consumption of a yogurt-based drink delivering 10(10) CFU of Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis (B. lactis) BB-12 per day did not decrease the number of days missed of school due to an illness. Additional independent research on the potential of BB-12 to reduce illness in children needs to be conducted.