Can probiotics help prevent acute otitis media (AOM) in children?

Abstract

Moderate‐certainty evidence shows that probiotics probably reduce the number of children with AOM and that fewer children had to take antibiotics with up to two years of treatment compared with placebo or no probiotic (296 vs 387 and 334 vs 504 per 1000 children respectively; all results on average). Fewer children developed other infections (acute respiratory, gastrointestinal) with probiotic (273 vs 364 per 1000 children). The impact of probiotics on time off school and on adverse events such as lack of appetite for milk, regurgitation, and gastrointestinal and respiratory symptoms is uncertain as results are imprecise. Consequently, no firm conclusions can be drawn.