Can the use of probiotics help control allergies, and if so, how?!

Can the use of probiotics help control allergies, and if so, how?

My daughter suffers from eczema due to multiple food and environmental allergies that are very difficult to avoid. We have searched in vain for adequate treatment of her eczema. I have heard that introducing probiotics into her diet may help. Does anyone know if this is accurate, and if so, how do they work?

Apparently they help to occupy the receptor sites in the gastrointestinal tract to help minimize allergic reactivity. My 7 year old daughter has been on them for 5 years and has shown much improvement in her reactivity. Our allergist suggested it when she was 2. The only problem with them is that sometimes the probiotic cultures are grown on an allergenic medium like milk, so be sure to call the company and ask them if there could be trace amounts of your child's allergen present. There are ones that are made on the less allergenic carrot juice or beet juice. The allergy / immunologist told me that yogurt is not potent enough and does not survive the stomach acid. A good health food store will have one made for children. Buy them in the refrigerated section for true live cultures that will survive stomach acid. Ours tastes somewhat like rice so it mixes well with rice milk. I do not know the particulars of your child's health history so it would be appropriate for you to discuss it with your doctor first. For extremely bad eczema that is out of control there is National Jewish Medical Center in Colorado that specializes in eczema and allergic disorders. I know several people who have gone and said it was a miracle.
Good luck