Evidence of Lactobacillus reuteri to reduce colic in breastfed babies: Systematic review and meta-analysis

source extracted confidence: high 2026-04-09
#breast-feeding #colic #crying #female #humans

Evidence of Lactobacillus reuteri to reduce colic in breastfed babies: Systematic review and meta-analysis

Dos et al., 2021 | Complement Ther Med | Meta Analysis

Citation

Dos Reis Buzzo Zermiani Angela Pierina, de Paula Soares Ana Luiza Pelissari Peçanha, ... Teixeira Jorge Juarez. Evidence of Lactobacillus reuteri to reduce colic in breastfed babies: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Complement Ther Med. 2021-Dec;63:102781. doi:10.1016/j.ctim.2021.102781

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To investigate evidence for the treatment of childhood colic by supplementing Lactobacillus reuteri in infants breastfed with breast milk. METHODS: The study was conducted according to the PRISMA protocol. The databases used for acquiring data were PubMed and Web of Science, applying MeSH terms and free terms. Meta-analysis was conducted using Stata ™ 12.0. The risk of bias was evaluated by the Review Manager (RevMan) 5.3 tool, and the strength of evidence was assessed by the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE). RESULTS: Ten clinical trials were included in the review. The administration of L. reuteri (DSM 17938 or ATCC55730) was tested in infants (n = 248) versus the control/placebo group (n = 229). Eight articles were included in the meta-analysis. There was a significant response in reducing crying time (minutes/day) and treatment effectiveness (reduction ≥ 50% in average daily crying time) in the first week (p = 0.001 and p = 0.003, respectively). These results were similar in the second, third weeks (p < 0.001 for both outcomes) and fourth weeks (p<0.001 and p = 0.002, respectively). The risk of bias was low for the majority of the studies. Confidence in evidence was considered very low for crying time and low for effectiveness treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The evidence shows that the administration of Lactobacillus reuteri to babies fed with breast milk reduces the crying time in babies diagnosed with colic. But our confidence in the effect estimate is limited.

Key Findings

Ten clinical trials were included in the review. The administration of L. reuteri (DSM 17938 or ATCC55730) was tested in infants (n = 248) versus the control/placebo group (n = 229). Eight articles were included in the meta-analysis. There was a significant response in reducing crying time (minutes/day) and treatment effectiveness (reduction ≥ 50% in average daily crying time) in the first week (p = 0.001 and p = 0.003, respectively). These results were similar in the second, third weeks (p < 0.

Outcomes Measured

  • Requires manual extraction

Population

Field Value
Population See abstract
Sample Size 248
Age Range See abstract
Condition See abstract

MeSH Terms

  • Breast Feeding
  • Colic
  • Crying
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Limosilactobacillus reuteri
  • Probiotics

Evidence Classification

  • Level: Meta Analysis
  • Publication Types: Journal Article, Meta-Analysis, Systematic Review
  • Vertical: probiotics

Provenance

Source extracted via PubMed E-utilities API on 2026-04-09