The University of Otago, Wellington is conducting a study on probiotics use in pregnancy.
The research team want to find out if by giving pregnant women a specific probiotic, they can:
– Stop infants developing eczema and allergy
– Help pregnant women’s health by preventing:
– Some vaginal infections
– A type of diabetes that occurs only in pregnancy (gestational diabetes)
If you’re interested in helping, they need to hear from you as early in pregnancy as possible, and this must be before reaching 16 weeks pregnant.
Personally, I think probiotics in pregnancy works! On the suggestion of one of the researchers taking part in this study, I took probiotics for as long as I could during the pregnancy of my second child, and she does not have the same eczema issues as my first daughter.
What does the study involve?
Study Capsules:
Participants in this study need to take one study capsule each day starting when 14-16 weeks pregnant and continuing throughout the remainder of their pregnancy and for 6 months after birth while breast feeding.
Half the participants will take study capsules containing the study probiotic. They contain one specific probiotic strain which is not genetically modified and was produced in a Halal compliant manner.
The other half of the participants will receive study capsules that do not contain probiotics. These capsules are called a “placebo”. The placebo capsules contain Maltodextran only instead of the probiotic.
Neither you nor the researchers know who is having the probiotic capsules and who is having the placebo until after the study is completed.
After birth the baby would not receive the study capsules.
Study Visits:
Participants will take part in 5-6 study visits starting when they are 14-16 weeks pregnant and finishing when their baby is 1 year old.
Study visits involve a range of questions and measures including one set of blood tests and two sets of vaginal swabs during pregnancy. We will also be testing participants, their baby and the baby’s father for allergies and checking your baby’s skin for eczema.
We will provide parking and petrol vouchers when participants need to travel to attend study visits. Home visits will be arranged for some parts of the study (e.g. just after birth).
Who can take part in this study?
Women taking part in the study need to:
1. Be less than 16 weeks pregnant
2. Either they (the pregnant woman) or the biological father of the unborn child must have had eczema, asthma or hay fever that was treated by a doctor at some time in the past
3. Live in, and plan to deliver in the Wellington area
or
Live in, and plan to deliver in the Auckland area
Full details can be found at the University of Otago, Wellington Research website section.
Eczema 101 