Probiotic may help colicky babies
DEAR DOCTOR: When our first son was born, we almost lost our minds as we rode out his bouts of colic. Our second son is due this spring, and the idea of dealing with colic again already has me panicking. I’ve been reading that certain probiotics can help. Is this true?
DEAR READER: Colic is a condition in which a baby has regular, often predictable, episodes of intense crying that last anywhere from several minutes to several hours. The child can be well-fed, well-rested, in a clean diaper and in a comfortable environment, then suddenly she or he will be in profound and prolonged distress. The crying is often highpitched, accompanied by clenched fists, tensed-up stomach muscles and a defensive, curled-up posture. The level of discomfort is such that comforting a colicky baby can seem all but impossible.
A new study has good news for parents of colicky babies. It appears that a certain probiotic that is already being marketed as a treatment for colic can, in fact, be effective. Known as Lactobacillus reuteri, this species of probiotic has been shown to exhibit antimicrobial activity. And while various small studies have already pointed to Lactobacillus reuteri as a hedge against colic, this latest study backs up the claim
for the probiotic with a larger and broader sample size.
Researchers looked at the raw data collected from babies who had been enrolled in four clinical trials. According to the findings, the group taking the probiotic spent measurably less time less crying and fussing than did the babies in the group that received the placebo group. But researchers were only able to confirm the positive effect of the probiotic among babies who were exclusively breast-fed. This was because there were not enough formula-fed infants in the clinical trials to generate sufficient data from which to draw conclusions.
This is a promising avenue of treatment for breast-fed babies with colic. We suggest that parents who want to give it a try (Lactobacillus reuteri is widely available as an over-thecounter product) do so in partnership with their pediatricians.