LIISA M LEHTORANTA¹*, ANNE PITKÄRANTA², RIITTA KORPELA¹
*Corresponding author
1. University of Helsinki Institute of Biomedicine, Pharmacology, PO Box 63, Helsinki, FI-00014, Finland
2. Helsinki University Central Hospital and University of Helsinki, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, PO Box 220, Helsinki, FI-00029, Finland

Abstract

Respiratory tract infections (RTIs) are the most common acute diseases in children. There are virtually no effective treatments or prophylaxes available for these infections. Increasing evidence shows that probiotics may be effective in the prevention of RTIs. Probiotic Lactobacillus (L.) rhamnosus GG is one of the most extensively studied probiotic bacterium. The purpose of this review is to summarize all the available data on the effects of L. rhamnosus GG on RTIs in children. To conclude, studies confirm that L. rhamnosus GG may be effective in RTIs by decreasing the risk or incidence of RTIs, alleviating symptoms or their duration, or decrease the numbers of prescribed antibiotics. However, more comparable trials investigating probiotic dose response and mechanisms of effects are necessary.

INTRODUCTION 

Acute upper and lower respiratory tract infections (RTIs) are the most common diseases in children. These infections pose a considerable health and economic burden in terms of hospitalizations, medical costs, doctor’s consultations, and absenteeism from work and school (1). The mean annual number of RTIs is approximately 5 in children under 5 years of age and 3 in older children (2-4). Children attending day care are especially at risk for acquiring RTIs (6, 7), as close physical contact among children in day care favour the transmission of infectious diseases. Acute upper RTIs may lead to complications such as otitis media (OM), which account for 80 percent of all infectious diseases diagnosed in general practice (8). The majority of acute RTIs are of viral origin. Viral RTIs can lead further to bacterial diseases, and mixed viral–bacterial infections are often associated with antibiotic treatment failure (9).
There are virtually no effective medications for the prevention of acute RTIs, and current symptomatic treatments for RTIs have limited advantage. In addition, as most acute RTIs are due to viral infection, antibiotic th ...