In this study, a literature review and meta-analysis were conducted of randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials that assessed the impact of probiotic intake during pregnancy on the development of eczema in children. A total of seven randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials published between 2001 and 2009 were selected from the PubMed and Ovid databases for the meta-analysis. Study selection, quality appraisal, and data extraction were performed independently and in duplicate. The development of atopic eczema in children whose mothers took probiotics during pregnancy was compared to placebo and results revealed a significant risk reduction for atopic eczema in children aged 2–7 years by the administration of probiotics during pregnancy (reduction 5.7 %; P = 0.022). However, this effect was only significant for lactobacilli (reduction 10.6 %; P = 0.045) and not for a mixture of various bacterial strains as probiotics (difference 3.06 %; P = 0.204). The authors concluded that the administration of lactobacilli during pregnancy prevents childhood atopic eczema but interestingly, a mixture of various bacterial strains does not affect the development of atopic eczema, independent of whether they contain lactobacilli or not. Br J Nutr. 2012 Jan;107(1):1-6. PMID: 21787448
