A systematic review and meta-analysis concluded that L. reuteri Protectis was the only probiotic to show reduced pain and more pain-free days compared to a placebo in children with functional abdominal pain (FAP).
Despite functional abdominal pain being a common gut problem, there is still no adequate treatment. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was therefore to evaluate the efficacy of strain-specific probiotics on functional abdominal pain in children.
The meta-analysis included nine studies of which six used L. reuteri DSM 17938 and three L. rhamnosus GG (LGG). The primary outcome, number of symptom-free children at the end of the intervention was not achieved, however.
Since the primary outcome was not achieved, we cannot draw any firm conclusions from our meta-analysis. But despite this we can conclude that L. reuteri DSM 17938 can be effective in reducing pain intensity and increasing the number of days without pain in children suffering from functional abdominal pain.
The meta-analysis showed no significant advantages of LGG supplement compared with a placebo in children suffering from functional abdominal pain.
The systematic review and meta-analysis were published online on 17 September 2020 in European Journal of Pediatrics.