Probiotic improved abdominal pain in children with irritable bowel syndrome

Francavilla R. Pediatrics. 2010;doi:10.1542/peds.2010-0467.

Children with irritable bowel syndrome who received Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG experienced significant reductions in the frequency and severity of abdominal pain, according to researchers from the University of Bari in Italy.

“This probiotic has been tested in children with intestinal functional disorders and the results have been inconclusive,” the researchers wrote. “Effective measures for the treatment of recurrent abdominal pain are lacking, and given the disorder’s high prevalence, the need for an appropriate treatment is critical. Data on the possible use of probiotics in adults with irritable bowel syndrome have indicated their efficacy, but data in children are limited.”

The trial was conducted between 2004 and 2008. The randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled trial included 141 children with irritable bowel syndrome or functional pain. Children were required to have had at least one episode of abdominal pain per week. The children received Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG or placebo for 8 weeks, and then were followed for 8 additional weeks. There was also a 4-week run-in phase that preceded the treatment phase.

At baseline, the children in the probiotic group had 3.7 pain episodes per week and the placebo group had 3.5 pain episodes per week. After 12 weeks, the probiotic group had 1.1 pain episodes per week and the placebo group had 2.2 episodes per group. After the 8-week follow-up period, the number of episodes in the probiotic group decreased to 0.9 per week and to 1.5 per week in the placebo group.

“As more probiotic compounds become available … demonstration of the efficacy of a given probiotic for a specific therapeutic target will help clinicians choose which probiotic to use when dealing with a specific disease,” the researchers wrote.