A recently published article in The New England Journal of Medicine by Schnadower and colleagues reported the results from a blinded, randomized clinical trial conducted to determine if probiotics were an effective treatment for acute gastroenteritis in young children. Dr. Phil Tarr, a pediatric gastroenterologist and precision medicine researcher was a co-author on the paper. Dr. Tarr, in a short video for the WashU News, noted that the results from 1,000+ participants trial indicated that probiotics had no demonstrable treatment effect in children with gastroenteritis, but also said that there was no evidence that the supplements were harmful.
Schnadower D, et al. Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG versus Placebo for the Treatment of Acute Gastroenteritis in Children Presenting to Emergency Departments. The PECARN Probiotic Trial. The New England Journal of Medicine. Nov. 22, 2018.