Lactobacillus reuteri associated with fewer stomach aches in children

Abdominal pain, irritable bowel, dyspepsia, stomach ache … Any parent knows just how often children can be affected by gastrointestinal problems. Though often harmless, they cause tears, anxiety, repeated visits to the GP and frequent absences from school. Since many medicines produce side-effects, parents often feel powerless to relieve their child’s suffering without, at the same time, upsetting their young bodies. But a new study on probiotics should help them in their desire to treat their child’s problems naturally.

In order to evaluate the potential of probiotics to relieve stomach ache, Israeli scientists examined 101 children aged between 6 and 15 who were experiencing at least one episode of abdominal pain a week ¹. Every day for four weeks, the children were given either a strain of bacteria called Lactobacillus reuteri, or a placebo. Both the children and their parents then completed a questionnaire over a further four weeks, recording frequency of pain, flatulence and bloating. Careful examination of these questionnaires revealed that those given the Lactobacillus reuteri suffered less frequent and intense pain than those given a placebo. These results further strengthen a consistent body of evidence which has been growing over the last few years.

Increasing interest in probiotics

Though awareness of probiotics remains low among the wider public, these beneficial micro-organisms make up the body’s oral, gut and vaginal flora ^{2, 3}. Together, they work tirelessly to combat the spread of harmful micro-organisms responsible for a number of infections such as gastroenteritis. For some years, it has also been known that they boost immunity via various mechanisms, and aid digestion. In a healthy body, the digestive tract is colonised by more than 100,000 billion bacteria from over 400 different species. Unfortunately, a combination of modern diets, certain avoidable drugs and sedentary lifestyles make it difficult to ensure an optimal bacterial ecosystem. Only a small percentage of the population appears to succeed in maintaining a healthy gut flora.

Lactobacillus reuteri in children

Beyond infections and digestive problems, the full consequences of such imbalances have yet to be measured, but bacterial flora is thought to play a key role in the body. Scientists have already demonstrated that centenarians have a quite specific gut flora ⁴. Each type of bacteria may play a different role in relation to diseases likely to affect the body. Thus Lactobacillus reuteri could be indicated for children not only for relieving intestinal problems^{5, 6} such as acute diarrhoea, but also for preventing and treating eczema ⁷, two conditions that are particularly prevalent in early years.

To prevent stomach acids from destroying beneficial bacteria, scientists have developed enteric-coated tablets designed to pass through the stomach before dissolving. Unfortunately, not all commercially-available capsules offer such benefits so it’s important to exercise care when choosing to treat your child’s health problems with a natural, 100% side effect-free, solution.

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References
1. Weizman Z et coll. : Lactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938 for the management of functional abdominal pain in childhood: a randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. J Pediatr., 2016; 174: 160-164.
2. Penner R, Fedorak RN, Madsen KL. Probiotics and nutraceuticals: non-medicinal treatments of gastrointestinal diseases. Curr Opin Pharmacol. 2005 Dec;5(6):596-603. Review.
3. Haddad PS, Azar GA, et al. Natural health products, modulation of immune function and prevention of chronic diseases. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2005 Dec;2(4):513-20.
4. Biagi E, Franceschi C et al. Gut Microbiota and Extreme Longevity. Curr Biol. 2016 Jun 6;26(11):1480-5.
5. Shornikova AV, Casas IA, Isolauri E, et al. Lactobacillus reuteri as a therapeutic agent in acute diarrhea in young children. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 1997;24:399-404.
6. Shornikova AV, Casas IA, Mykkanen H, et al. Bacteriotherapy with Lactobacillus reuteri in rotavirus gastroenteritis. Pediatr Infect Dis J 1997;16:1103-7.
7. Abrahamsson TR, Jakobsson T, Bottcher MF, et al. Probiotics in prevention of IgE-associated eczema: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2007;119:1174-80.