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Probiotics in pediatric inflammatory bowel diseases

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Abstract

The intestinal microbiota plays a key role in the initiation and perpetuation of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). As such, there is a strong rationale to use agents such as probiotics to modulate the gut microbiome as a treatment strategy for these disorders. Furthermore, the potential toxicities of current IBD therapies make probiotics attractive medications for patients and physicians. However, although much attention is being placed on probiotic therapy, relatively few well-designed trials have evaluated its efficacy in the management of IBD, particularly in the pediatric population. This article examines the currently available published trials studying probiotics for the treatment of IBD, with particular emphasis on their role in pediatric IBD patients.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 130 Mason Farm Road, 5143 Bioinformatics, CB-7229, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA

    Ajay S. Gulati

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  1. Ajay S. Gulati
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  2. Marla C. Dubinsky
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Correspondence to Ajay S. Gulati.

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Gulati, A.S., Dubinsky, M.C. Probiotics in pediatric inflammatory bowel diseases. Curr Gastroenterol Rep 11, 238–247 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11894-009-0037-z

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