ReviewChildren (Basel, Switzerland)2025
Probiotic, Prebiotic, and Synbiotic Supplementation for the Prevention and Treatment of Acute Otitis Media: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Review in Children (Basel, Switzerland), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Comparative efficacy of different probiotic strains and preparations for prevention of acute otitis media in children: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.Frontiers in nutrition · 2026Pooled it
- Preventing otitis media and respiratory tract infections with the oral probiotic Streptococcus salivarius K12.European journal of pediatrics · 2026Trial
- Effect of probiotic lozenges on improvement in tympanometric classification within 12 weeks in children aged 3-6 years with adenoid hypertrophy and otitis media with effusion undergoing non-surgical management: a randomized controlled trial.Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology · 2025Trial
- Biofilm Formation and Its Relationship with the Microbiome in Pediatric Otitis Media.Microorganisms · 2025Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND
aimProbiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics have been documented to modulate the microbiota, enhance immunity, and reduce antibiotic resistance, making them a promising alternative in the management of acute otitis media (AOM). Accordingly, the aim of this study was to determine their effectiveness in the prevention and treatment of AOM in patients.
methodsA systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials published between 2000 and 2024 was conducted using Science Direct, PubMed, LILACS, SCOPUS, Web of Science, and Cochrane Clinical Trials, following PRISMA guidelines. The methodological quality was evaluated using the Jadad scale, and the meta-analysis was performed with RevMan 5.4
resultsA total of 16 trials with 4034 patients were included. The meta-analysis showed that the intervention did not affect the time to AOM presentation (MD: -7.98; 95% CI: -19.74 to 3.78;
conclusionsSupplementation with probiotics, prebiotics, or synbiotics is associated with a significant reduction in the incidence of AOM in children, although no significant impact was observed on other key clinical parameters. These interventions may be considered as a complementary strategy to conventional treatments; however, further high-quality, standardized trials are needed to confirm these findings and to define optimal protocols.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What Socratic holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.