Publications by authors named "Sara Pohjavuori"

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between child characteristics, parental and environmental factors and the occurrence of acute respiratory illness (ARI) and acute otitis media (AOM) among Finnish children attending day care centres (DCCs). The study was a cross-sectional questionnaire of 594 children aged 1-6 y from 18 DCCs in Helsinki, Finland. Recurrent (> or =4 diseases/y) ARI was present in 44% of the 1-3-y-olds and 23% of the 4-6-y-olds, and recurrent AOM in 15% and 2.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Aim: To investigate the prevalence of atopic disease among Finnish day care children and the relationship between atopy and environmental factors.

Methods: A cross-sectional study of 594 day care children aged 1-6 years from Helsinki, Finland. Each child's history of atopic diseases and environmental exposure was collected in a questionnaire completed by the parents.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background & Aims: To examine whether probiotics would reduce the occurrence or duration of acute otitis media (AOM), or the nasopharyngeal carriage of otitis pathogens in otitis-prone children.

Methods: During this double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised, 24-week intervention, 309 otitis-prone children (10 months-6 years) consumed either one probiotic capsule (Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG and LC705, Bifidobacterium breve 99 and Propionibacterium freudenreichii JS) (n=155) or placebo (n=154) daily. Clinical examinations were carried out and nasopharyngeal samples taken three times.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Over 70% of children currently suffer from acute otitis media (AOM) before their second birthday, and incidence is increasing rapidly. Recent studies have raised concern about inadequate use of diagnostic equipment and insufficient training in diagnoses. We recruited 309 children with a history of recurrent otitis media who were followed for 6 months during 1 infectious season.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF