Probiotics for the Prevention of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus in Overweight and Obese Women: Findings From the SPRING Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Given the role of gut microbiota in regulating metabolism, probiotics administered during pregnancy might prevent gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). This question has not previously been studied in high-risk overweight and obese pregnant women. We aimed to determine whether probiotics (Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Bifidobacterium animalis subspecies lactis) administered from the second trimester in overweight and obese women prevent GDM as assessed by an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) at 28 weeks’ gestation. Secondary outcomes included maternal and neonatal complications, maternal blood pressure and BMI, and infant body composition. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS This was a double-blind randomized controlled trial of probiotic versus placebo in overweight and obese pregnant women in Brisbane, Australia. RESULTS The study was completed in 411 women. GDM occurred in 12.3% (25 of 204) in the placebo arm and 18.4% (38 of 207) in the probiotics arm (P = 0.10). At OGTT, mean fasting glucose was higher in women randomized to probiotics (79.3 mg/dL) compared with placebo (77.5 mg/dL) (P = 0.049). One- and two-hour glucose measures were similar. Preeclampsia occurred in 9.2% of women randomized to probiotics compared with 4.9% in the placebo arm (P = 0.09). Excessive weight gain occurred in 32.5% of women in the probiotics arm (55 of 169) compared with 46% in the placebo arm (81 of 176) (P = 0.01). Rates of small for gestational age (<10th percentile) were 2.4% in the…
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a randomized trial, done in people. Its evidence level is 2 of 5 (High · randomized trial). Randomized trials of a reasonable size are the strongest single-study design. Reported size: 411 participants or records.
Read the paper
Related studies
- Improving the translation of search strategies using the Polyglot Search Translator: a randomized controlled trial
- Nutritional, Physical, Cognitive, and Combination Interventions and Frailty Reversal Among Older Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial
- Clinical characteristics and risk factors associated with COVID-19 severity in patients with haematological malignancies in Italy: a retrospective, multicentre, cohort study
- A randomized, controlled trial of oral propranolol in infantile hemangioma
- Clinical phenotypes of delirium during critical illness and severity of subsequent long-term cognitive impairment: a prospective cohort study
- Increased physical activity improves sleep and mood outcomes in inactive people with insomnia: a randomized controlled trial
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.