Clinical Trial: Lactobacillus Reuteri DSM 17938 Versus Placebo in the Treatment of Infantile Colic

Study Status: Completed
Recruit Status: Completed
Study Type: Interventional

Official Title: Lactobacillus Reuteri DSM 17938 Versus Placebo in the Treatment of Infantile Colic: A Randomized Double-blind Controlled Trial

Brief Summary:

Infantile colic is a common medical condition which remains a frustrating problem for parents and health care providers with no clear treatment guidelines. To fill the void in existing literature, we present a protocol to examine whether probiotics are effective in decreasing infantile colic symptoms when compared to placebo treatment.

We hypothesize that oral administration of the probiotic L. reuteri DSM 17938 will reduce symptoms of infantile colic in breastfed infants in comparison to placebo.

An interim analysis will be conducted after 50 infants randomized to monitor both safety and efficacy.


Detailed Summary:

Infantile colic is one of the most commonly reported medical problems within the first three months of life causing appreciable distress for both parents and pediatricians. The reported incidence of infantile colic ranges from 3% to 28% in prospective studies and up to 40% in retrospective surveys.

The pathogenesis of infantile colic remains elusive despite decades of research. It appears that multiple independent origins might be involved: amongst them infant's difficult temperament, inadequate mother-infant communication or maternal anxiety, transient lactase deficiency, exposure to cow's milk, abnormal gastrointestinal function, maternal smoking during pregnancy or after delivery. Consequently, various treatment approaches have been tried to alleviate this condition.

Recent studies have suggested that changes of intestinal microflora of a newborn may play an important role in pathogenesis of infantile colic. Therefore, dietary supplementation with probiotics has been proposed for the improvement of this condition.


Sponsor: The Hospital for Sick Children

Current Primary Outcome: Mean change in crying time [ Time Frame: Baseline, 7 days, 14 days, 21 days ]

Reduction of daily median crying time (measured with parental diary) with L. reuteri DSM 17938 versus placebo at any of the time points 7, 14, and 21 days


Original Primary Outcome: Same as current

Current Secondary Outcome:

  • Number of responders vs. non-responders [ Time Frame: Baseline, at 7, 14 and 21 days ]
    Number of responders versus non-responders with L. reuteri versus placebo at the time points 7, 14, and 21 days. Responder is defined as a decrease in daily average crying time of 50% during the study as measured using the maternal daily diary.
  • Parental quality of life [ Time Frame: Daily for 21 days ]
    Parental quality of life assessed by self-administered numerical rating scale from 0 (worst possible) to 10 (perfect well-being)
  • Number of episodes of crying [ Time Frame: Over 21 days ]
    Reduction in the number of episodes of crying (measured with parental diary) with L. reuteri DSM 17938 versus placebo
  • Duration of episodes of crying [ Time Frame: Over 21 days ]
    Reduction in the duration of episodes of crying (measured with parental diary) with L. reuteri DSM 17938 versus placebo
  • Changes in stool consistency [ Time Frame: Over 21 days ]


Original Secondary Outcome: Same as current

Information By: The Hospital for Sick Children

Dates:
Date Received: February 23, 2012
Date Started: November 2011
Date Completion:
Last Updated: November 19, 2014
Last Verified: November 2014