Meta-analysis finds no benefit of probiotics for pregnancy

Australian and Swiss researchers conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials, which failed to find evidence of the benefits of prescribing probiotics during pregnancy. The publication appeared in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology MFM. Annie McDougall of the Burnet Institute and colleagues from Australia and Switzerland conducted a systematic search of randomized controlled trials of probiotics in the Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, Cochrane, Global Index Medicus and Maternity and Infant Care Database up to August 2023. The meta-analysis included data from 29 studies involving a total of 7735 women who were prescribed a total of 20 strains of probiotic bacteria, mostly orally.

It was found that the administration of such drugs did not affect the risk of pre-eclampsia, the incidence of preterm (earlier than 37 weeks of pregnancy) labor and gestational age of the fetus at the time of delivery. It was difficult to assess the effects of probiotics on secondary outcomes because of the very low level of evidence, but based on the available data, no evidence of benefit or harm was found.