Mono- or multistrain probiotics? Comparative clinical study of different therapeutic strategies for infantile colic

Introduction. The highest level of evidence for the treatment of colic in breastfed infants is with L. reuteri monoprobiotic therapy. Recently multistrain probiotics have been used to treat colic.

Аim. Is to evaluate the effectiveness of various strategies for the treatment of infantile colic, including monoand multistrain probiotics.

Materials and methods. A total of 110 infants aged 1–5 months with colic and 20 healthy infants were examined. The effectiveness of treatment was assessed in three groups of infants with colic: Group 1 consisting of 30 children who received BioGaia Probiotic drops for baby (L. reuteri); Group 2 consisting of 40 children who received Bac-Set Baby multistrain probiotic, and Group 3 consisting of 40 children who received symptomatic therapy. The estimated parameters included duration of crying, fecal levels of zonulin measured by ELISA assays, and gut microbiota composition.

Results. Children with colic had longer crying duration compared to healthy children, higher levels of zonulin in the stool and differences in the microbiota. In group 2, colic relief occurred on average within 5 days, which is significantly faster than in groups 1 and 3 (10 and 12 days, respectively). In group 2, colic relief occurred in the majority of children (87.5%), the differences with groups 1 and 3 were statistically significant (53.3% and 10% of children, respectively). Also in group 2 there was a decrease in the level of zonulin by 41.4% from the initial level, in group 1 – by 40.1%, in group 3 – by 10.8%. Group 2 has also showed positive changes in the microbiota.

Discussion. The results confirm the effectiveness of multistrain probiotics in the treatment of colic.

Conclusions. Bac-Set Baby multistrain probiotic proved to be more effective than BioGaia Probiotic drops for baby monostrain probiotic and symptomatic therapy in the relief of infantile colic. The effect of Bac-Set Baby is associated with its ability to normalize the intestinal microbiota and reduce the permeability of the intestinal wall.

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