The C.A.M. Report
Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Fair, Balanced, and to the Point
  • About this web log

    This blog ran from 2006 to 2016 and was intended as an objective and dispassionate source of information on the latest CAM research. Since my background is in pharmacy and allopathic medicine, I view all CAM as advancing through the development pipeline to eventually become integrated into mainstream medical practice. Some will succeed while others fail. But all are treated fairly here.

  • About the author

    John Russo, Jr., PharmD, is president of The MedCom Resource, Inc. Previously, he was senior vice president of medical communications at www.Vicus.com, a complementary and alternative medicine website.

  • Common sense considerations

    The material on this weblog is for informational purposes. It is not medical advice or counsel. Be smart, consult your health professional before using CAM.

  • Recent Posts

  • Recent Comments

    Using probiotics to prevent eczema

    Taking the right probiotic early in life seem to reduce the risk of eczema.

    First, the details.

    • 474 infants at risk of allergic disease based on a family history were studied.
    • Pregnant women were randomly assigned to take 1 of 3 treatments daily from 35 weeks gestation until 6 months if breast-feeding.
      • Lactobacillus rhamnosus HN001
      • Bifidobacterium animalis subsp lactis strain HN019
      • Placebo
    • Their infants were randomly assigned to the same treatment from birth to 2 years.
    • Skin prick tests to common allergens was performed at 2 years.
    • The participants and the researchers were not aware of the treatment given — double-blind.

    And, the results.

    • Infants receiving L rhamnosus had a significantly reduced risk of eczema compared with placebo.
    • This was not the case for B animalis subsp lactis.
    • There was no significant effect of L rhamnosus or B animalis subsp lactis on atopy (allergic hypersensitivity).
    • L rhamnosus was more likely to be present in the feces at 3 months, although detection rates were similar by 24 months.

    The bottom line?
    The authors concluded, “Supplementation with L rhamnosus, but not B animalis subsp lactis, substantially reduced the cumulative prevalence of eczema, but not atopy, by 2 years.”

    How this happens should be studied.

    10/8/08 18:45 JR

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