BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- A yogurt drink containing "good bacteria" reduced the number of common infections among children in daycare by 19 percent, compared to a yogurt drink without the "good bacteria," according to a recent study.

The study, called DRINK, which stands for Decreasing the Rates of Illness in Kids, tested 638 children ages 3 to 6 who attended school five days a week.

Some were given a commercial yogurt product with a strain of L. casei bacteria, and some children received a version of the yogurt without the probiotic spike. The kids and their parents weren't told which version they were getting.

Youngsters whose strawberry-flavored yogurt had the live bacteria developed 24 percent fewer digestive system infections such as diarrhea, nausea and vomiting. They also had 18 percent fewer ear, nose and throat infections.

The study was paid for by the Dannon Yogurt company, makers of the yogurt product DanActive, which was used in the study. But it was conducted by researchers at the Georgetown University School of Medicine.

The Georgetown researchers said the test showed mixed results. Although there were some differences in infection rates between the two groups, it did not translate into fewer missed school days for the children, or fewer missed work days for their parents, who had to stay home to care for them.