The Effect of Probiotic Lactobacillus Reuteri on Reducing the Period of Restlessness in Infants with Colic

Abdominal colic during infancy is a common complaint of parents within the first three months after the child’s birth. As the intestinal microflora in these infants is different from non-colic newborns, we aimed to determine the effects of probiotics on the balance of intestinal microflora and reducing restlessness in infants with colic. This randomized clinical trial was performed on 44 breastfed infants (20-60 days old), with a birth weight of > 2500 g, suffering from colic, based on Wessel’s definition. These infants received 1-5 drops of placebo (label 1) per day for five consecutive days. Afterwards, they were administered 2-5 drops of Lactobacillus reuteri (label2) (17938 DSM) per day for 14 consecutive days. The parents were contacted twice on a daily basis and the duration of cramps and restlessness in infants was recorded and evaluated (IRCT=2014012713489). Among 44 infants, 36 cases completed the study. The mean period of restlessness after 5 days of receiving placebo and L. reuteri was 275±142.8 and 172±88.3 min, respectively (p<0.001). Also, after 14 days of L. reuteri administration, the mean period of restlessness was 106±53.67 min. The results showed that probiotic L. reuteri reduced crying and restlessness duration in infants with colic.