Probiotics for Pediatric Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Few proven pharmacologic or dietary interventions are available for children with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Probiotics have demonstrated some promise in adults with IBS, but results of studies of the widely used probiotic Lactobacillus GG in children with IBS have been inconsistent. In a randomized, double-blind, crossover study, 59 children (age range, 5–18 years) with a new diagnosis of IBS (according to Rome II criteria) at pediatric tertiary care centers in Italy and India received the probiotic mixture VSL#3 (containing 8 strains of probiotics, including bifidobacterium and lactobacillus species and Streptococcus thermophilus) or placebo for 6 weeks each, with a 2-week washout period between treatments. The probiotic and placebo …