Childhood Eczema and Probiotics The PandA Trial Article by Barry W. Ritz, PhD The health of our immune system begins during early development. It is important to incorporate healthy preventive strategies prenatally to ensure not only a healthy baby but also development into a health adult. The link with infantile eczema and ongoing allergy as been made – balancing the immune response is key to moderating allergy. Dr. Barry Ritz, who studied his PhD in Nutritional Immunology, highlights recent research supporting nutritional strategies, both prenatally and in the early months of an infant’s life, affecting eczema and possibly ongoing allergic response. Assessment and Exercise Counsel- ing. Working with patients over to teach people that everything affects your health. This fueled her desire to further expand her career and continue her studies. She is an avid follower of the Institute for Functional Medicine and is currently working toward her certification in Coleman is also the president of - sulations Canada. WHAT IS ECZEMA? Eczema is a chronic, inflammatory skin condition that affects up to 20 per cent of children. It is characterized by varying degrees of redness and itching, mainly affecting the face, neck, and folds of the knees and elbows. Although eczema can present at any time throughout life, the age of onset for more severe or chronic eczema is typically before two years and often \UE \UE associated costs may be as high as $1–4 billion.1 The prevalence of allergic diseases among children, including eczema, has increased dramat- ically during the past few decades and continues to rise.2 Furthermore, childhood eczema is associated with the development of other allergic diseases later in life, including asthma, a phenomenon referred to as the Allergic March. As a result, there is considerable interest in identifying effective treatments for the prevention of eczema. One proposed treatment option that is being heavily studied is the use of probiotics. PROBIOTICS Probiotics are defined as live microorganisms that, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host. Primary prevention studies often employ a perinatal supplementation protocol in which pregnant women are supplemented with probiotics | APRIL 2010 www.canadianchiropractor.ca
Chiropractic + Naturopathic Doctor April 2010: Page 34
