A review of a British Medical Journal article by D’Souza and others found that in patients being treated with antibiotics, intake of probiotics, along with the prescribed antibiotics, reduced the incidence of diarrhea.  Lactobacillus is a common, non-pathogenic bacteria or, “probiotic”.  It is found in various food products (e.g., yogurt), and commercially available. 

In children with acute infectious diarrhea (whether or not they were taking an antibiotic), Lactobacillus was found by Van Niel and his colleagues to be effective treatment. 

Are probiotics really safe?  Probably.  Studies of small populations of children are very encouraging – but not conclusive.  In the elderly, there have been individual case-reports of serious infections caused by Lactobacillus.  There are many types of Lactobacilli, and not all may be appropriate.   It is also difficult to establish the proper dose, as amounts in commercially available foods vary widely.  Doses should exceed 1010 colony-forming units of Lactobacillus and be given more than twice daily.

(Harris A: ACP Journal Club; Nov/Dec 2002 pp95.)
(Uhari M: ACP Journal Club; Nov/Dec 2002 pp96.)

Comment:  Despite the lack of certainty in this young science, probiotics appear to be a reasonable recommendation to make for children who are either suffering from diarrhea or who are taking antibiotics.        - H.T.