Probiotics for Colic Unsuccessful
Previous experiments demonstrated that Lactobacillus reuteri could be used successfully for colic in young babies. To further confirm this result, Dr. Valerie Sung of the Royal Children’s Hospital in Australia investigated L. reuteri in babies younger than three months with symptoms of colic. Her study found that supplementation with the probiotic did not improve colic, and the treated babies cried approximately 49 minutes per day more than those in the placebo group. These finding suggest that early supplementation with L. reuteri is not beneficial for colic.
Intestinal Disease Modulates Breast Milk
Breast milk provides babies with an abundance of factors needed to help the immune system develop, and these include prebiotic oligosaccharides and even beneficial bacteria. Because intestinal disease can affect the intestinal microbiota composition, Marta Olivares and her colleagues at the Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology in Spain examined breast milk from mothers with celiac disease. They found that milk from these mothers had, in general, reduced amounts of protective immune factors like cytokines and antibodies as well as lowered numbers of beneficial Bifidobacteria.
More Support for Probiotics in Atopic Dermatitis
Taking probiotics during pregnancy and providing them to newborns appears to lower the incidence of allergic disease including Atopic Dermatitis. To gain a better overview of the published results, M. Panduru of the Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Romania compiled data from 16 individual studies. The data indicated that probiotics administration could significantly prevent the development of Atopic Dermatitis when provided during both the pre- and postnatal period. The meta-analysis showed significant protection of both at-risk babies (family history of allergies) and in the general population.
References
- Sung V, Hiscock H, Tang ML, Mensah FK, Nation ML, Satzke C et al. Treating infant colic with the probiotic Lactobacillus reuteri: double blind, placebo controlled randomised trial. BMJ 2014; 348: g2107.
- Panduru M, Panduru NM, Salavastru CM, Tiplica GS. Probiotics and primary prevention of atopic dermatitis: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled studies. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol 2014. [Epub ahead of print]
- Olivares M, Albrecht S, De Palma G, Ferrer MD, Castillejo G, Schols HA et al. Human milk composition differs in healthy mothers and mothers with celiac disease. Eur J Nutr 2014. [Epub ahead of print]