Journal article
Probiotic Supplementation for Promotion of Growth in Children: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Nutrients, Vol.14(1), p.83
12/25/2021
DOI: 10.3390/nu14010083
PMCID: PMC8746675
PMID: 35010959
Abstract
Probiotics are commonly prescribed to promote a healthy gut microbiome in children. Our objective was to investigate the effects of probiotic supplementation on growth outcomes in children 0-59 months of age. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis which included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that administered probiotics to children aged 0-59 months, with growth outcomes as a result. We completed a random-effects meta-analysis and calculated a pooled standardized mean difference (SMD) or relative risk (RR) and reported with a 95% confidence interval (CI). We included 79 RCTs, 54 from high-income countries (HIC), and 25 from low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). LMIC data showed that probiotics may have a small effect on weight (SMD: 0.26, 95% CI: 0.11-0.42, grade-certainty = low) and height (SMD 0.16, 95% CI: 0.06-0.25, grade-certainty = moderate). HIC data did not show any clinically meaningful effect on weight (SMD: 0.01, 95% CI: -0.04-0.05, grade-certainty = moderate), or height (SMD: -0.01, 95% CI: -0.06-0.04, grade-certainty = moderate). There was no evidence that probiotics affected the risk of adverse events. We conclude that in otherwise healthy children aged 0-59 months, probiotics may have a small but heterogenous effect on weight and height in LMIC but not in children from HIC.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Probiotic Supplementation for Promotion of Growth in Children: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
- Creators
- Joseph Catania - SUNY Upstate Medical UniversityNatasha G. Pandit - SUNY Upstate Medical UniversityJulie M. Ehrlich - SUNY Upstate Medical UniversityMuizz Zaman - SUNY Upstate Medical UniversityElizabeth Stone - SUNY Upstate Medical UniversityCourtney Franceschi - SUNY Upstate Medical UniversityAbigail Smith - SUNY Upstate Medical UniversityEmily Tanner-Smith - Oregon Department of EducationJoseph P. Zackular - Children's Hospital of PhiladelphiaZulfiqar A. Bhutta - Hospital for Sick ChildrenAamer Imdad - SUNY Upstate Medical University
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Nutrients, Vol.14(1), p.83
- DOI
- 10.3390/nu14010083
- PMID
- 35010959
- PMCID
- PMC8746675
- NLM abbreviation
- Nutrients
- ISSN
- 2072-6643
- eISSN
- 2072-6643
- Publisher
- Mdpi
- Number of pages
- 18
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 12/25/2021
- Academic Unit
- Stead Family Department of Pediatrics; Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Pancreatology, and Nutrition
- Record Identifier
- 9984446556902771
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