Study backs AB-Biotics probiotic blend for reducing colic
Adding to an existing bank of science exploring the role of probiotics in infantile colic, the findings revealed that daily oral supplementation of AB-KOLICARE significantly improves symptoms of the condition, including crying time – creating opportunities for innovation in the infant nutrition space.
Infant colic, also known as excessive crying syndrome, is a common disorder in one-five-month-old infants, marked by frequent and prolonged crying or fussing in otherwise healthy babies. Its etiology is unclear, but evidence regarding the implications of infant gut microbiota and overall gut health is rising in importance.
Previous studies have found that in the gut microbiota of colicky babies, there tends to be a lower level of commensal bacteria like Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria and higher numbers of Proteobacteria. These findings have triggered a number of studies investigating the effect of supplementation of the gut microbiota of colicky babies with products containing probiotic bacteria.
This latest randomized double-blind controlled study investigated the impact of daily oral administered AB-KOLICARE – combining patented probiotic strains Bifidobacterium longum KABP-042 (CECT 7894) and Pediococcus pentosaceus KABP-041 (CECT 8330) – on the symptoms of infantile colic.
Conducted in 112 exclusively breastfed or mixed fed infants, it found that supplementation with AB-KOLICARE for 21 days resulted in shorter crying and/or fussing time and less episodes of crying and/or fussing compared to the placebo group. Of note, although both groups showed a response, infants receiving the probiotic solution displayed a clinically significant response in the first week compared to babies in the control group (83% vs 36%), and despite babies in both groups improving over time, probiotic treatment offered superior results on day 21.
In addition, the probiotic formula improved fecal consistency. It was therefore concluded that AB-KOLICARE is an effective solution for the prevention and treatment of infant colic.
“Colic can be an extremely distressing experience, for both babies and their families,” comments Jordi Riera, Chief Business Development Officer, AB-Biotics.
“Emerging research shows that babies with infant colic have a different microbiota composition than those without. For instance, the presence of Bifidobacterium – beneficial bacteria that digest dietary fiber, help to prevent infection, and produce vitamins – is just 0.3% in colic babies, compared to 10% in non-colic infants.
"This suggests that gut microbiota may play an important role in the development of the condition and explains why probiotics are being explored as a potential treatment due to their gut-strengthening properties.
"In this study, the probiotic solution contained a strain of B. longum, which is a Human Resident Bifidobacteria (HRB) and one of the most common Bifidobacteria in healthy infants. This is significant since most other probiotic solutions for infants contain non-HRB such as B. animalis.”
Source: Frontiers in Pediatrics
Chen. K., et al
"Infantile Colic Treated with Bifidobacterium longum CECT7894 and 2 Pediococcus pentosaceus CECT8330: A Randomized, Double-Blind, 3 Placebo-Controlled Trial"
doi: 10.3389/fped.2021.635176
