Colic, the uncontrollable crying in healthy babies, is the cause of as many as one in five visits to the pediatricians and a source of stress among parents, but a new study suggests that giving probiotics, or good bacteria, to healthy infants during the first three months of life may result in fewer bouts of colic.
In the study, researchers randomly assigned more than 500 infants born at full term to receive daily drops of either Lactobacillus reuteri mixed with oil or a placebo. After 90 days, they found that babies who received probiotic had an average crying time of 38 minutes compared to 71 minutes among babies who received the placebo. Infants on probiotics also vomited about three times a day while those receiving placebo vomited almost five times a day. Likewise, infants taking the probiotic had an average of about four bowel movements a day while those on placebo only had three and a half.
The findings, which were published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics Jan. 13, showed that babies who received probiotics had significantly shorter crying spells and less stomach upsets than babies who were given a placebo.
"Parents need to be informed that probiotics possibly cure and prevent colic," said study lead author Flavia Indrio of the department of pediatrics at Aldo Moro University of Bari. "This is something I use routinely in my practice to treat colic."
Indrio however, said that the findings need to be replicated because the study merely showed an association between probiotic use and decreased colic. It did not prove a cause-and-effect relationship. Experts concurred saying that more research is needed to confirm the findings before it can be recommended for newborns.
William Muinos, co-director of the gastroenterology department at Miami Children's Hospital said that use of probiotics could potentially pose risks to newborns. He said that some babies might be at risk for having the bacteria get into their bloodstream which may cause serious illness.
Bruno Chumpitazi and Robert Shulman, both of the Baylor College of Medicine also wrote in the study's accompanying journal that future studies need to follow children for several years to examine whether there are any long-term consequences from using probiotics in infancy.
