During the 13th Probiotics, Prebiotics and New Foods Congress, Microbiomepost conducted an exclusive interview with Yvan Vandenplas, Head of the Pediatric Hospital at the University Hospital Brussels. 

In this video interview, Vandenplas uses the example of probiotics in acute gastroenteritis to highlight how heterogeneous methodologies in evidence synthesis can lead to conflicting clinical recommendations. While major societies such as the American Gastroenterological Association and the European Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition reach different conclusions about whether probiotics shorten the duration of diarrhoea, primary care providers and patients are left with mixed messages depending on which guideline or paper they consult. 

The interview discusses how variations in meta-analytic methods, inclusion criteria, and the definition of adequate randomized controlled trials (e.g. number of studies required, geographic origin of the trials, and consistency across regions) all influence the final recommendations. The speaker also underlines that not all probiotic products meet the same quality standards or have been tested in rigorous randomized controlled trials, making clear, harmonized guidance even more crucial. The interview concludes with a call to standardize the processes used to review the literature and to develop position papers, guidelines and recommendations, so that healthcare professionals worldwide receive comparable, coherent and clinically actionable advice.