Biotics and Children’s and Adolescents’ Health: A Narrative Review

Abstract

Recently, there has been an increasing interest in the association of gut microbiota with health conditions and the potentially beneficial role of several types of biotics in several population groups, including children and adolescents. Children and adolescents comprise a unique population group due their rapid growth rates, high nutritional requirements, the immaturity of their immune system in early life, and their susceptibility to infectious diseases. The aim of the present study is to investigate the role and limitations of the administration of biotics in specific conditions affecting children and adolescents. A narrative review of related articles published on PubMed up to October 2023 was conducted. The administration of biotics has been evaluated in several health conditions among children and adolescents, such as the treatment and prevention of infectious diarrhea, the prevention of diarrhea after the use of antibiotics, the prevention of necrotizing enterocolitis, the treatment of functional gastrointestinal diseases, such as infant colic, functional abdominal pain, and irritable bowel syndrome, the eradication of H. pylori, the treatment of ulcerative colitis and pouchitis, and the prevention of atopic dermatitis, and the findings indicate improved symptoms and various beneficial health outcomes. However, some limitations have been identified regarding probiotics’ use. In conclusion, biotics may have a beneficial impact in several health conditions among children and adolescents. There is a need for additional randomized, controlled clinical studies on the effects of the administration of biotics in children and particularly in adolescents and young adults.