AUTHORS ' CONCLUSIONS There is no clear evidence that probiotics are more effective than placebo at preventing infantile colic ; however , daily crying time appeared to reduce with probiotic use compared to placebo .
There were no clear differences in adverse effects .
BACKGROUND Infantile colic is typically defined as full-force crying for at least three hours per day , on at least three days per week , for at least three weeks .
Infantile colic affects a large number of infants and their families worldwide .
Its symptoms are broad and general , and while not indicative of disease , may represent a serious underlying condition in a small percentage of infants who may need a medical assessment .
Probiotics are live microorganisms that alter the microflora of the host and provide beneficial health effects .
The most common probiotics used are of Lactobacillus , Bifidobacterium and Streptococcus .
There is growing evidence to suggest that intestinal flora in colicky infants differ from those in healthy infants , and it is suggested that probiotics can redress this balance and provide a healthier intestinal microbiota l and scape .
The low cost and easy availability of probiotics makes them a potential prophylactic solution to reduce the incidence and prevalence of infantile colic .
OBJECTIVES To evaluate the efficacy and safety of prophylactic probiotics in preventing or reducing severity of infantile colic .
Cow's Milk–Associated Gastrointestinal Symptoms Evaluated Using the Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Food Challenge
Objective : The aim of this study was to evaluate the suspicion of cow's-milk allergy in infants with unspecific gastrointestinal ( GI ) symptoms using the double-blind , placebo-controlled food challenge . Methods : A prospect i ve cohort study , which recruited 57 consecutive children with gastrointestinally manifested symptoms suspected of cow's-milk allergy . All patients underwent a 5-day double-blind , placebo-controlled food challenge for cow 's milk . Results : The median age of the patients was 8.7 months . None had measurable cow's-milk – specific IgE. The food challenge was positive in 18 ( 32 % ) cases , with symptoms manifesting within 48 hours in 17 of 18 cases . The only symptom that correlated with the positive challenge was loose stools , reported as a presenting symptom in 78 % of challenge-positive and in 46 % of challenge-negative children ( P = 0.043 ) . During active challenge , the respective proportions were 82 % and 2 % ( P < 0.0001 ) . No serious adverse effects were manifested during the challenges . In the challenge-negative group , significant placebo reactions occurred in 18 ( 46 % ) patients . In the challenge-negative children , adult-type hypolactasia genotype CC frequency was higher ( 31 % , P = 0.033 ) than national prevalence of 18 % . Conclusions : In an infant with unspecific GI symptoms suspected of cow's-milk allergy , this diagnosis is seldom confirmed . Other reasons for the troublesome GI symptoms should also be identified
AUTHORS ' CONCLUSIONS There is no clear evidence that probiotics are more effective than placebo at preventing infantile colic ; however , daily crying time appeared to reduce with probiotic use compared to placebo .
There were no clear differences in adverse effects .
BACKGROUND Infantile colic is typically defined as full-force crying for at least three hours per day , on at least three days per week , for at least three weeks .
Infantile colic affects a large number of infants and their families worldwide .
Its symptoms are broad and general , and while not indicative of disease , may represent a serious underlying condition in a small percentage of infants who may need a medical assessment .
Probiotics are live microorganisms that alter the microflora of the host and provide beneficial health effects .
The most common probiotics used are of Lactobacillus , Bifidobacterium and Streptococcus .
There is growing evidence to suggest that intestinal flora in colicky infants differ from those in healthy infants , and it is suggested that probiotics can redress this balance and provide a healthier intestinal microbiota l and scape .
The low cost and easy availability of probiotics makes them a potential prophylactic solution to reduce the incidence and prevalence of infantile colic .
OBJECTIVES To evaluate the efficacy and safety of prophylactic probiotics in preventing or reducing severity of infantile colic .