Role of Lactobacillus Rhamnosus 19070-2 and Lactobacillus Reuteri DSM 12246 in Infant Colic: A Multi-Center Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Randomized Dietary Study

Introduction: Infant colic is a common condition of unknown pathogenesis that brings frustration to families seeking for effective management. Accumulating evidence suggests that some single strains of lactobacilli may play a positive dietary role in attenuation of colic in exclusively breastfed infants. The objective of this study was to evaluate mixture of 2 lactobacillus strains in decreasing of infant cry and fuss in this population.

Methods: Infants aged 1-3 months received L. rhamnosus 19070-2 and L. reuteri DSM 12246 in a daily dose of 250 x 10⁶ CFU and 200 IU of vitamin D₃ (84 infants, probiotic group) or just vitamin D₃ (84 infants, control group) for 28 days. Cry and fuss time were measured with validated Baby`s Day Diary on days 0 and 28.

Results: At baseline, mean (SD) duration of cry and fuss time was comparable in the probiotic and control groups: 305 (81) vs. 315 (90) min., respectively (P=0.450). On day 28, mean cry and fuss time became statistically different: 142 (89) vs. 199 (72), respectively (P<0.05). Mean change in cry and fuss time from day 0 through day 28 was -163 (99) minutes in the probiotic and -116 (94) minutes in the control group (P=0.019). Infants in the probiotic group recovered faster from colic in Cox`s F-test (P<0.001) (Figure 1).

Conclusion: Our findings confirm that lactobacilli decrease cry and fuss time and provide meaningful dietary support in exclusively breastfed infants with colic.