Table 2 Summary of 10 included probiotic studies

Brunser 2006³⁸

Santiago - Chile

37 – 42 weeks gestation 3000 – 4200 g birth weight

1) Probiotic: L Johnsonii La1 10⁸ cfu/ g powder n=25

13 weeks

Average formula intake (ml/kg)

2) Prebiotic: FOS 2g n= 32/L

Fecal excretion of bifidobacteria, Lctobacillus, Enterobacteria (Log10(CFU)/g stool)

3) Breastfeeding n= 26

4) In Placebo group: Conventional infant formula no probiotic or prebiotic n= 33

Chouraqui 2004⁴⁰

France

Infants < 8 months

1) Probiotic: B. lactis Strain Bb12 1.5 × 10⁶ cfu/g powder, n=46

148 days

Diarrhea, stools/day, Spitting, regurgitation

2) In Placebo group: Conventional infant formula no probiotic or prebiotic, n=44

Gibson 2009⁴⁴

Adelaide -Australia

> 37 weeks gestation, birth weight 2500–4500 g,<10 days old

1) Probiotic group: Bifibacterium lactis. 3.85 × 10⁸ cfu/g 100kcal, n= 72

7 months

Growth: Weight, length, head circumference

Stool characteristics (data not shown)

2) Placebo group: Conventional infant formula no probiotic, n=70

Stools, colic, spitting up, vomiting and restlessness

Mean daily volume of formula intake

GI infections, Respiratory infections

Haschke-Becher 2008⁴⁵

Santiago - Chile

36 - 44 weeks gestation, birth weight > 2500 g at 16 weeks of age

1) Probiotic group: Lactobacillus Johnsonii 1 × 10⁸ cfu/g powder yielding 0.8 to 1.1 × 10⁸ cfu/ 200 mls formula, n= 17

4 weeks

Growth: Weight, length, Formula intake

Langhendries 1995⁴⁶

Belgium, St Joseph-Montegnee-Rocourt

Healthy Full term infants

1) Probiotic group: Bifibacterium Bifidum 10⁶ cfu/g powder, n= 20

2 months

Bifidobacteria, Bacteriodes, Enterobacteria Log10 (CFU) / g of faeces

2) Placebo group: conventional infant formula no probiotic, n= 20

3) Reference group: Human milk, n= 14

Petschow 2005⁴⁸

Iowa, USA

Healthy full term infants, weight >2500g, appropriate for gestational age (0–3 months of age)

1) Probiotic group: Lactobacillus GG 1 × 10⁶ cfu/g powder yielding 10⁸ cfu/day, n=15

7 day baseline, 14 days treatment period, 14 days follow up

Stool frequency, stool consistency

2) Probiotic group: Lactobacillus GG 1 × 10⁷ cfu/g powder yielding 10⁹ cfu/day, n= 14

3) Probiotic group: Lactobacillus GG 1 × 10⁸ cfu/g powder yielding 10¹⁰ cfu/day, n= 15

4) Placebo group: Conventional infant formula no probiotic, n= 15

Urban 2008⁵⁰

Johanesburg South Africa

37 - 42 weeks gestation, 2500–4200 g birth weight, born to HIV+ mothers but infants tested HIV-

1) Probiotic group Acidified formula and Bifidobacterium lactis n= 29 (cfu/g powder is not specified)

4 months (119 days)

Growth: Males: Weight gain, length and head circumference

Females: Weight gain, length and head circumference

2) No probiotic group: Acidified formula no probiotic, n= 28

3) Placebo group: Conventional infant formula, (whey adapted formula), n= 28

Weizman 2005⁵¹

Beer - Sheva Israel

> 38 weeks gestation, 4–10 months old

1) Probiotic group: Bifidobacterium Lactis (BB-12) 1 × 10⁷ cfu/g powder, n= 73

12 weeks

Episodes of diarrhea,

Volume of feed / day

2) Probiotic group: Lactobacillus reuteri 1 × 10⁷ cfu/g powder, n= 68

Episodes of respiratory illness, antibiotic use, clinic visits

3) Placebo group: Conventional infant formula no probiotic, n= 60

Weizman 2006⁵²

Beer - Sheva Israel

> 38 weeks gestation, < 4 months (3–65 days of age)

1) Probiotic group: Bifidobacterium Lactis (BB-12) 1 × 10⁷ cfu/g powder yielding 2.2 × 10⁸ cfu/180 mls reconstituted formula, n= 20

4 weeks

Growth: Weight, length, head circumference (final percentiles)

Stooling effort score, stooling consistency score

2) Probiotic group: Lactobacillus reuteri 1 × 10⁷ cfu/g powder yielding 2.2 × 10⁸ cfu/180 mls reconstituted formula , n= 20

Daily crying score and daily crying episodes

Formula volume (mls/kg)

3) Placebo group: Conventional infant formula no probiotic, n=19

Ziegler 2003⁵⁵

Iowa USA

≥ 37 weeks gestation, Birth weight 2500g - 4500g (6–10 days of age)

1) No probiotic group: Reduced Protein formula no probiotic or prebiotic n=40

112 days

Growth: Males: Weight, length, Females, weight, length

2) Probiotic group: Reduced protein formula, Bifidobacterium lactis 3.6 × 10⁷ cfu/g powder yielding 4.8 × 10⁹ cfu/L reconstituted formula , n= 40

Stool consistency

Crying, colic (data not shown)

Hospitalization, diarrhea, diarrhea (No. of episodes)

3) Placebo group: Conventional infant formula, no probiotic, n=42