Probiotics do not help with colic in infants.

Research in Australia and Canada has shown that the probiotic Lactobacillus reuteri does not reduce fussiness in infants with colic.

Colic (crying without a known cause) occurs in approximately 20% of newborns and is a major burden for families and healthcare providers. Although it resolves spontaneously by 3-4 months of age, its cause is unknown and there is no effective treatment.

Previous small trials have shown that the probiotic Lactobacillus reuteri effectively treats colic in breastfed infants. However, these studies were limited in that they only examined a selected group of colicky infants. The effectiveness of L reuteri in formula-fed infants with colic remains unclear.

So researchers in Australia and Canada set out to determine whether the probiotic Lactobacillus reuteri reduced fussiness in 167 colicky infants under 3 months of age who were fed breast milk and formula.

A total of 85 babies were randomly assigned to receive probiotics and 82 babies to receive a placebo for one month. Results were measured on daily crying time at one month, sleep time, maternal mental health, and family and child quality of life.

Gut bacterial diversity, fecal calprotectin (a marker of intestinal inflammation), and E. coli colonization were also examined.

The results showed that the probiotic group was significantly more fussy than the placebo group at all time points from day 7 to 1 month. At 1 month, the probiotic group fussed and cried for 49 minutes more than the placebo group. This increased fussiness was only seen in formula-fed infants. L reuteri did not affect the duration of fussiness in exclusively breastfed infants. Treatment with L reuteri did not lead to changes in fecal bacterial diversity, E. coli colonization, or calprotein levels.

The researchers said this was the largest randomized controlled trial to date of a probiotic intervention in colicky infants. They concluded that treatment with L reuteri did not reduce fussiness in colicky infants, nor did it improve infant sleep, maternal mental health, or child or family quality of life, and that probiotics should not be recommended for all colicky infants.

According to the researchers, further research is needed to determine which groups of colicky infants may benefit from probiotics.

In a commentary accompanying the report, William E Bennett, Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the All India Medical School, said that this was the best-designed study to date on this controversial topic. He said that we should consider treating colicky infants with probiotics in the absence of clear evidence. He stressed that colic symptoms subside and that the infants do not suffer serious long-term effects, while the potential harms associated with diagnostic testing and treatment appear to outweigh the harms caused by colic.

According to dantri.com