Efficacy of Brazilian Propolis Supplementation for Japanese Lactating Women for Atopic Sensitization and Nonspecific Symptoms in Their Offspring: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial.

Propolis is a natural product collected from several plants by honeybees and mixed with beeswax and salivary enzymes. In animal models, propolis suppressed IgE-mediated allergies. However, there is no clinical evidence that propolis prevents human atopic sensitization, to the best of our knowledge.

Increased food allergy and vitamin D: randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Background: To elucidate whether maternal vitamin D supplementation during lactation improves infantile eczema and other subsequent allergic disorders, a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was performed.

Methods: Mothers (n = 164) of infants with facial eczema at 1 month check-up were randomly assigned to receive vitamin D3 supplements (n = 82; 800 IU/day) or placebo (n = 82) for 6 weeks from May 2009 to January 2011. The primary outcome was infantile eczema quantified on Scoring Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD) index at 3 month check-up, and the secondary outcomes were atopic dermatitis, food allergy, and wheeze diagnosed by doctors up to 2 years of age.

Bimodal effects of obesity ratio on disease duration of respiratory syncytial virus infection in children.

Background: Morbid obesity may be associated with hospitalization and possibly death from the 2009 pandemic H1N1 infection, suggesting a yet unknown association between obesity and the severity of viral infections. Thus, we examined association between obesity ratios and duration of disease in children with Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) infection.

Methods: A retrospective survey of 243 children admitted for bronchitis, bronchiolitis, pneumonia, and those who tested positive for a RSV test, were observed from a single institute in Japan.

Randomized trial of vitamin D supplementation to prevent seasonal influenza A in schoolchildren.

Background: To our knowledge, no rigorously designed clinical trials have evaluated the relation between vitamin D and physician-diagnosed seasonal influenza.

Objective: We investigated the effect of vitamin D supplements on the incidence of seasonal influenza A in schoolchildren.

Design: From December 2008 through March 2009, we conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial comparing vitamin D(3) supplements (1200 IU/d) with placebo in schoolchildren.