Applied Evidence
When can infants and children benefit from probiotics?
The latest studies indicate that probiotics can help with colic, eczema, and certain types of diarrhea. They may also help with upper respiratory...
In the article, “When can infants and children benefit from probiotics?” (J Fam Pract. 2016;65:789-794), Dassow et al recommended probiotics as a therapeutic tool for reducing abdominal pain associated with pediatric irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). There are several types of functional disorders in childhood with related abdominal pain, the most common of which are IBS and functional abdominal pain (FAP).1,2
Several recent randomized placebo-controlled trials—one of which I led—have shown that Lactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938 is a beneficial treatment for FAP in children.3-5 When compared with placebo, this probiotic agent significantly reduced the frequency and intensity of FAP in children.
Family physicians should consider this probiotic microorganism as a potential therapeutic tool for IBS, as well as childhood FAP.
Zvi Weizman, MD
Beer-Sheva, Israel