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THERE’S FINALLY A WAY TO HELP SOME COLICKY BABIES. probiotic l reuteri for infants

After three weeks of treatment for colicky newborns who are exclusively breastfed, an international study indicated that a specific probiotic group is twice as likely as a placebo to reduce crying by 50%. probioticseverything.comprobiotic l reuteri for infants

While we don’t know what causes colic, we do know that it’s a difficult condition to manage. “Episodes of sobbing that endure for more than three hours a day, for more than three days a week, for three weeks, in an otherwise well-fed, healthy child,” according to the definition. probioticseverything.comprobiotic l reuteri for infants

The illness, which affects one out of every five families, is most common in babies under the age of three to four months—and usually goes away with time—but that doesn’t make it any less irritating and distressing for new parents. There hasn’t been a successful treatment for colic.

The probiotic Lactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938 was studied by the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute.

Many studies have looked into the impact of probiotics in treating colic, but this specific strain shows promise, according to Valerie Sung, the primary author and pediatrician. probioticseverything.comprobiotic l reuteri for infants

“Families with exclusively breastfed newborns with colic now have the option of trying something that might help, when there was no viable option accessible in the past,” Sung explains.

ANALYSIS OF THE PROBIOTIC

The research, which was published in Pediatrics, includes raw data from four high-quality, double-blind, placebo-controlled Lactobacillus reuteri trials conducted in Italy, Poland, Canada, and Australia. probioticseverything.comprobiotic l reuteri for infants

The team collaborated to evaluate data from 345 colic-affected newborns under the age of three months. The outcomes were compared to babies who received a placebo in the first and largest study of Lactobacillus reuteri for treating baby colic.

Lactobacillus reuteri is the most frequent lactobacillus species identified in the human gut, albeit it is not always present and typically in small levels. It appears to alter pain perception in rats’ stomachs, control how the gut contracts, and increase the protective benefits of the gut’s mucus layers, according to animal research. probioticseverything.comprobiotic l reuteri for infants

It has been demonstrated in both human and animal research to reduce gut inflammation and kill germs, or at least block their negative effects. The probiotic, interestingly, has the potential to block the bacterium E. coli, which has been found to be more numerous in the stomachs of kids with colic than in those without. probioticseverything.comprobiotic l reuteri for infants

The Australian portion of the trial was led by Sung, an honorary fellow at the University of Melbourne’s pediatrics department. It was the largest study to date, and it was also the only one to include both breastfed and formula-fed infants. It took place in 2011 and involved 167 colic babies. probioticseverything.comprobiotic l reuteri for infants

Lactobacillus reuteri was discovered to be ineffectual by researchers at the time. Lactobacillus reuteri appears to be useful for exclusively breastfed newborns with colic when this information is paired with the findings of three previous worldwide trials.

“We chose to link up with other researchers from the other three high-quality trials to integrate the data, producing additional power and precision in establishing the probiotic’s overall effectiveness,” Sung adds. probioticseverything.comprobiotic l reuteri for infants

WHAT ABOUT BABIES WHO ARE FEEDING ON A FORMULA?

While the research is encouraging, there aren’t any studies on formula-fed newborns, so it’s not a sure thing.

“Unfortunately, I am not aware of any trials examining the probiotic’s usefulness for colic in formula-fed newborns.” “This is a difficult area of research since many baby formulas now contain probiotics and prebiotics, which could compromise research findings,” she explains. probioticseverything.com

The effectiveness of this treatment, according to Sung, will have to be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

“It’s also worth noting that each probiotic strain operates in a distinct way. The only probiotic strain that may aid screaming breastfed babies is Lactobacillus reuteri.”

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