Latest scientific research:

Impact of probiotic on anxiety and depression symptoms in pregnant and lactating women and microbiota of infants: A systematic review and meta-analysis Halemani K et al 2023. J Glob Health. 2023 May 12;13:04038.

The 2023 systematic review and meta-analysis published in the Journal of Global Health (doi: 10.7189/jogh.13.04038) evaluated the impact of probiotic supplementation on anxiety and depression symptoms in pregnant and lactating women, as well as on the gut microbiota of their infants.

Study Overview:

Participants: The analysis included 16 randomized controlled trials encompassing 946 pregnant women, 524 lactating mothers, and 1,678 infants.
Interventions: Probiotic supplementation involved either single strains of Bifidobacterium or Lactobacillus, or combinations of both.

Key Findings:

Mental Health Outcomes:
- Anxiety: Probiotic supplementation was associated with a slight reduction in anxiety symptoms among pregnant women (Standardized Mean Difference [SMD] = 0.01; 95% Confidence Interval [CI]: -0.28 to 0.30; P = 0.04) and lactating women (SMD = -0.17; 95% CI: -1.62 to 1.27; P = 0.98).
- Depression: Similarly, a modest decrease in depression symptoms was observed in pregnant women (SMD = 0.05; 95% CI: -0.24 to 0.35; P = 0.20) and lactating women (SMD = -0.10; 95% CI: -1.29 to -1.05; P = 0.11).
Infant Gut Health:
- Probiotic supplementation in mothers led to improvements in the gut microbiota of infants, with reductions in symptoms such as crying duration, abdominal distension, colic, and diarrhoea.

Conclusion:

The study suggests that non-invasive probiotic therapies may offer benefits for mental health in pregnant and lactating women and support gut health in infants. However, the authors note that while findings are promising, further research is needed to confirm these effects and to determine optimal probiotic strains and dosages.