Zeitschrift für Probiotika und Gesundheit
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Live Probiotic Culture Supplementation in the Treatment of Infantile Colic: A Review of Literature

Meneghin F, Dilillo D, Mantegazza C, Galli E, Stucchi S, Torcoletti M, Ramponi G, Colella G, Penagini F, and Zuccotti GV

Probiotics are viable microorganisms that can exert potential benefit to health. They have been administered in several clinical conditions with conflicting results. Infantile colic is a recurring condition in the first months of life, defined by Rome III criteria such as paroxysms of irritability, fussing or crying that start and stop without obvious cause, lasting >3 hours per day and occurring >3 days each week and without a failure to thrive. Laboratory tests and radiological examinations are unnecessary if the infant is gaining weight normally and has a normal physical examination. Despite the fact that these symptoms are spontaneously self-limited after the age of 3 months, infantile colic may lead to a significant parental strife. Currently aetiopathogenesis is not yet understood but different treatments have been proposed to mitigate symptoms. Several studies showed that colicky infants had an inadequate balance of Lactobacilli in gut microflora and probiotics have been studied as a potential therapy due to their role in the modulation of intestinal microbiota.
We performed a review of literature regarding this topic to evaluate if there was sufficient evidence to support a probiotic supplementation approach for colicky infants.