Probiotics: Are They Safe For Children With Abdominal Pain?

Probiotic use is safe and effective for functional abdominal pain in children, according to a recent systematic review.

Findings from the review were presented by Dr Morris Gordon on October 17, 2017, at the World Congress of Gastroenterology at the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) 2017.
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Functional abdominal pain cannot be explained by visible or detectable abnormalities. Probiotic use may be beneficial for bowel bacteria, promoting normal gut physiology, and reducing functional symptoms.

For their review, Dr Gordon and colleagues evaluated 970 participants enrolled in 13 placebo-controlled studies. Patient data were obtained from the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL and Cochrane Inflammatory Bowel Disease & Functional Bowel Disorders Group Specialized Trial Register from inception to January 2017.

To be eligible for the review, randomized controlled trials must have compared probiotics against placebo or any other intervention. Two authors independently extracted data and assessed the methodological quality of studies that met the inclusion criteria. The intention-to-treat approach was used for analysis.

Results of a meta-analysis of 10 studies (n = 735) showed that the severity of pain had been significantly reduced with probiotic use vs placebo. Furthermore, a meta-analysis of 7 studies (n = 566) indicated that there was no statistically significant difference in adverse events between participants taking probiotics vs those on placebo. A sensitivity analysis of 5 studies had demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in pain severity vs placebo.

“The evidence from the published suggests superior efficacy of probiotics for functional abdominal pain in children when compared with placebo,” the researchers concluded. “There is no difference in adverse events, suggesting safety. The evidence base is of moderate quality and of reasonable size. Further research to investigate the longer term impact of probiotic therapy is suggested.”

—Christina Vogt

Reference:

Gordon M. Probiotics for the management of functional abdominal pain in children: a Cochrane systematic review. Paper presented at: World Congress of Gastroenterology at ACG2017; October 13-18, 2017; Orlando, FL. https://www.eventscribe.com/2017/wcogacg2017/fsPopup.asp?Mode=presInfo&PresentationID=304985.