Ear Infections
USE OF PROBIOTICS REDUCES SEVERITY OF COMMON COLD – (07-09-07)
Probiotic bacteria reduced duration and severity of common cold
I had a mom bring in her 1 yr old baby that had a history of reflux (meds at 3 months) and now recurrent ear infections. Figuring out what was wrong was not difficult (pretty clear cut allergy to dairy), but of issue was the multiple courses of antibiotics she had been on. Recently, she had taken her daughter to urgent care, and the physician recommended she give her daughter probiotics. A little surprising, but good nonetheless. Her pediatrician, however, told her later there was no evidence on probiotics. I told her she needs to find a pediatrician who has cracked a medical journal in the past decade.
The bottom line is that these commensal bacteria are supposed to be there. The benefits of having them there are too many to mention. I firmly believe that this is the most devasting impact of innapropriate antibiotic use.
