Effects of maternal probiotic supplementation on breast milk microbiome and infant gut microbiome and health: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Abstract
OBJECTIVE
The early life microbiome is formed during the perinatal period and is critical for infants' lifelong health. This is established by maternal-infant microbiome crosstalk, which is mediated by the breast milk microbiome. The milk microbiome is dependent on the maternal gut microbiome, suggesting that it could potentially be restored through oral probiotic supplements. Therefore, we conducted this systematic review and meta-analysis to summarize the effect of maternal probiotic supplements on breast milk and infant gut microbiome, and infant health.
DATA SOURCES
PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Scopus, CINAHL, and Science Direct databases were searched until December 15, 2022.
STUDY ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
Randomized controlled trials with the PICO (population: pregnant or lactating women, intervention: probiotics, control: placebo or follow-up, outcome: breast milk and infant gut microbiome, and infant health) principles were included.
METHODS
The standard mean difference (SMD), risk difference (RD), and risk ratio (RR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) using a random effect model were used to measure each outcome. All analyses were conducted with the intention-to-treat approach. Heterogeneity was evaluated using I2 statistics.
RESULTS
The final dataset included 24 RCTs with a total of 2761 mothers and 1756 infants. The overall effect of probiotics on the beneficial bacteria detection rate (RD) in breast milk was 24% (95% CI:0.11, 0.37, P=0.00, I2 = 91.12%). The…
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a meta-analysis, done in people. Its evidence level is 1 of 5 (Highest · pooled evidence). Pooled evidence from several studies sits at the top of the evidence pyramid. Reported size: 1,756 participants or records.
Read the paper
Related studies
- Bile Acid 7α-Dehydroxylating Gut Bacteria Secrete Antibiotics that Inhibit Clostridium difficile: Role of Secondary Bile Acids
- Ketogenic diet alleviates colitis by reduction of colonic group 3 innate lymphoid cells through altering gut microbiome
- Altered gut microbiome composition and function are associated with gut barrier dysfunction in healthy relatives of patients with Crohn's disease
- Diet, obesity, and the gut microbiome as determinants modulating metabolic outcomes in a non-human primate model
- Immune Impairment Associated with Vitamin A Deficiency: Insights from Clinical Studies and Animal Model Research
- Glyphosate-based herbicides influence antioxidants, reproductive hormones and gut microbiome but not reproduction: A long-term experiment in an avian model
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.