title: Study to investigate the potential of probiotics in children attending school.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine if consumption of yogurt containing a high dose of probiotic (1×10(10) colony-forming unit per 100 ml), Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis (B. lactis), decreases absences in children 2-4 years attending daycare/school centers.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled, allocation concealment clinical trial in the Washington, DC area. Our active intervention was a strawberry yogurt-based drink supplemented with B. lactis BB-12. The placebo was indistinguishable from the active drink, differing only in absence of the probiotic BB-12.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 172 children between the ages of 2 and 4 from the Washington, DC area were enrolled. The primary outcome, missed days of school because of illness per 100 days, was similar in both the active (2.54 days absent/100 school days) and control groups (2.42 days absent/100 school days) (P=0.873).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The probiotic-containing yogurt-based beverage studied did not decrease absences because of illnesses in daycare/school for healthy children ages 2-4 years.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20007, USA.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Merenstein
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gonzalez
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Young
authors.forename: R F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Sanders
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Petterson
mesh_terms: D000041:Absenteeism; D001628:Beverages / Q000382:microbiology*; D001644:Bifidobacterium; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D004219:District of Columbia; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D005527:Food, Fortified; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019936:Probiotics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012578:Schools, Nursery; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013234:Stem Cells; D015014:Yogurt / Q000382:microbiology*