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Synopsis:Probiotics, live microorganisms with potential for beneficial health effects, are increasingly added to infant formulae and used as food supplements. The last decade has seen a boom in probiotic research, and its use in early life has potentially important consequences, such as immune modulation and allergy prevention. Recent studies have also shown promise in its use in infant colic, a common and distressing condition with no proven therapeutic options. Are probiotics really the next natural miracle for crying babies?

Speakers:

Prof Michael Cabana is a Professor of Pediatrics, Epidemiology and Biostatistics, as well as a member of the core faculty at the Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies, at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). As well as his NIH grants, he heads up the $5.8 million UCSF Pediatric AsthmaNet Research Center. He also has particular interests in perinatal probiotics interventions and allergy prevention.

Valerie Sung is a general paediatrician currently undertaking her PhD at the Centre for Community Child Health. She conducted the Baby Biotics Study, a double-blind randomized placebo controlled trial of probiotics for infant colic. For this, she was awarded the Society for Pediatric Research student award at the Pediatric Academic Societies Meeting in the US this year.