Up to one in four infants experience colic, often manifesting in excessive crying and fussing, say Chr Hansen.
In a new study, children with colic consuming Chr. Hansen’s BB-12 probiotic strain Bifidobacterium, have experienced less excessive crying and fussing, accompanied by increased sleep time.
The mechanism by which the ingredient exerts a beneficial effect on the study group is expected to be the same as in healthy infants.
Bifidobacterium, BB-12, a documented Bifidobacterium, adds another scientific study to its growing list of publications.
The newly published study Chen et al provides data that the strain can help soothe excessively crying infants with colic.
In addition, it highlights that the strain is beneficial across different demographics and genetic backgrounds.
This is a highly important finding as the benefit of probiotic strains in diverse population groups and microbiota has often been discussed.
The new study supports and expands on the findings of Nocerino et al. in a study published in 2019, which concluded that Bifidobacterium, BB-12 supported a reduction in daily crying duration and a decrease in the number of daily crying episodes.
This new study is a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized study which included 192 breastfed Chinese infants, who were 12 weeks of age or less.
For 21 days, the infants were given a placebo or one billion CFU per day of Bifidobacterium, BB-12, administered via oil drops provided by Chr. Hansen.
The study found that infants with colic, who received the strain, cried for an hour and 20 minutes less per day and had, on average, five less crying episodes per day.
The new study also looked at the impact of the Bifidobacterium, BB-12 on sleep.
Infants receiving 21 days of the strain intervention slept an average of one hour more per day.
Moreover, parents of the infants in the Bifidobacterium, BB-12 group reported a significant improvement in their physical, emotional and social functioning.
Lastly, the strain was found to support regular stool movements and consistency over the 21-day study period.
With studies in both China and Italy suggesting this strain’s ability to support the reduction of crying and fussing, plus Zone IVb stability for hot, humid and tropical environments, the BB-12 probiotic strain Bifidobacterium, has the potential to make a global impact.
What is excessive crying?
Excessive crying, defined as crying for more than three hours per day on more than three days per week, has become one of the most common reasons parents consult a health care professional during the first three months of their infants ’s life.
While 25% of healthy infants worldwide experience excessive crying and fussing, the exact cause is unknown.
However, often the infants in question have lower counts of good bacteria and increased concentrations of undesirable bacteria in their digestive tracts.
