Effects of probiotics on gastrointestinal symptoms, anthropometric measurements, and breastfeeding duration in infants with colic: a randomized control trial

Abstract

Infantile colic was first described by Wessel et al. 1 in 1954 as "crying attacks that last three hours a day, three days a week, and continue for three weeks. " Infantile colic is a benign newborn problem characterized by self-limiting, unpreventable crying attacks that affect 25% of babies in the first three months of life. It is a very troublesome process for parents and babies. 2 It is associated with short-and long-term negative outcomes such as postpartum maternal depression, early cessation of breastfeeding, parental guilt and frustration, shaken baby syndrome, multiple doctor visits, medication use, growth and development problems, allergies, and behavior and sleep problems. 3,4 The pathogenesis of infantile colic and the conditions that cause its disorder have not yet been elucidated. Some studies have suggested that maternal malnutrition, consumption of foods containing allergens, and lactase deficiency in infants are responsible. 5 In recent years, it has been thought that the gastrointestinal tract flora may play a role in infantile colic. 6,7 It has been suggested that deteriorated intestinal flora (dysbiont), which is thought to be responsible for infantile colic, can be improved by probiotics and ameliorated colic pain in infants. 8,9 Probiotics play an important role in changing the flora, possibly by causing bacterial diversity in the gastrointestinal tract via the gut-brain axis. 8 Some studies have suggested the valuable effects of maternal intake of probiotics during the perinatal or postpartum period to change the intestinal flora of infants in the prevention of infantile colic. 8,10,11 Many studies have been carried out to evaluate the use of probiotic supplements in the treatment of infantile colic and have shown their effectiveness on crying duration, gastrointestinal problems, growth and development parameters, and breastfeeding duration of the baby. 10,12 However, in infantile colic studies, probiotic products are generally included in infant nutrition, while studies on including probiotic products in maternal nutrition are almost non-existent. 13,14