Natural Help for Eczema?
Friday, October 30th, 2009Dutch researchers report that treating pregnant mothers, and then their infants, with select strains of probiotics may help prevent a skin condition known as eczema in children with a family history of allergies, particularly during the first 3 months of life. Eczema is an inflammatory skin condition thought to be related to allergies. As a chiropractor, I am always interested in new research that supports natural remedies. Probiotics are bacteria present naturally in the body and sometimes added to food or dietary supplements to boost immune function. Chiropractic treatment can also improve the function of the autoimmune system.
In the study, 150 pregnant women with a family history of allergic diseases were given either a mixture of three probiotic bacteria or a placebo during the last six weeks of pregnancy. In addition, the researchers also gave the same treatment to the women’s children for 12 months.
In a follow up with 102 of the children born to the mothers who took part in the study, parents of 6 in 50 of the subjects who received probiotics reported eczema in their children, compared to 15 or 52 of the placebo group. And, even though the rate of eczema in both groups became more similar, there was still some benefit even after two years.
One of the paper’s 9 authors is employed by Winclove Bio Industries B.V., Amsterdam, which manufactures the probiotic supplements used in the study. The study appeared in the journal Allergy.