Health benefits of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG and Bifidobacterium animalis subspecies lactis BB-12 in children

While the literature indicates that probiotics are effective for the treatment or prevention of several conditions, data in children specifically focusing on individual probiotic strains are still limited.To conduct a narrative review that summarizes data on the efficacy and safety of two common probiotic strains - Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) and Bifidobacterium animalis subspecies lactis BB-12 (BB-12) - when administered to children.Our search of the PubMed database identified 13 meta-analyses, three systematic reviews, and 15 randomized, controlled trials that assessed BB-12 and LGG, either alone or in combination, when administered to infants to improve growth or to children of any age to prevent or treat acute gastroenteritis (AGE), antibiotic- or healthcare-associated diarrhea (AAD and HAD, respectively), respiratory infections, otitis media, and functional gastrointestinal (GI) disorders including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).Our review found evidence that LGG can prevent AAD and improve the symptoms of AGE, particularly among children in Europe. However, we found only moderate evidence regarding the benefits of LGG for treating respiratory infections and IBS in children and minimal evidence to support the use of BB-12. While no serious safety concerns were identified, LGG was associated with two non-serious safety concerns of wheezing and viral skin infections.We propose that LGG can be safely administered to toddlers and older children to manage the symptoms of AGE and prevent AAD. These findings should be considered for incorporation into clinical practice guidelines and should help to focus the efforts of the probiotic industry.