The use of probiotics in pediatric practice

Abstract

Human microbiota takes part in various physiological processes of the body, and violation of its qualitative and quantitative composition is associated with the development of several diseases. Microbiota and macroorganism coexist in a kind of symbiosis, where each partner benefits from each other and affects the other. The effects of microbiota are manifested both locally and on a systemic level. The function of the microbiota to maintain homeostasis is comparable to that of any other vital organ, so any disturbance of its composition can lead to deviations in the state of human health. The article deals with ways of correction of intestinal microbiota disturbances with the help of probiotic preparations. The urgency of the problem is caused by the abundance of probiotic preparations offered at the pharmaceutical market and insufficient knowledge about them in large studies involving children. The article presents the requirements for efficacy and safety of probiotic strains both included in preparations and having the status of biologically active additives, including those used in pediatrics. Data on the role of both probiotics as a whole and individual strains in the prevention and treatment of digestive tract diseases in children are presented. The effectiveness of the most studied probiotic strains, in particular Lactobacillis rhamnosus GG, in therapeutic schemes and in the prevention of gastrointestinal diseases in children, in particular in the treatment of acute gastroenteritis, antibiotic-associated diarrhea and functional abdominal pain, is analyzed.

Keywords

• probiotics, probiotic strains, microbiota, children, antibiotic-associated diarrhea, <i>lactobacillus rhamnosus gg</i>