Table 2.
Summary of large cohort studies and meta-analyses of prenatal and postnatal probiotics
| Intervention | Patient type | No. of patients | Outcome | RR or OR | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cohort studies | |||||
| Milk containing lactobacilli [26] | Primiparous women | 33,399 | Severe preeclampsia | 0.79 | 0.66–0.96 |
| Milk containing lactobacilli [30] | Pregnant women | 18,888 | Pre-term delivery | 0.86 | 0.74–0.99 |
| Probiotic milk products [33] | Pregnant women ± their infants | 40,614 | Eczema | 0.94 | 0.89–0.99 |
| Probiotic milk products [33] | Pregnant women ± their infants | 40,614 | Rhinoconjunctivitis | 0.87 | 0.78–0.98 |
| Various probiotics [56] | Premature infants | 10,800 | Necrotizing enterocolitis | 0.55 | 0.39–0.78 |
| Various probiotics [56] | Premature infants | 8139 | Death | 0.72 | 0.61–0.85 |
| Various probiotics [56] | Premature infants | 6893 | Sepsis | 0.86 | 0.74–1.0 |
| Randomized controlled trials | |||||
| Various probiotics [32] | Pregnant women ± their term infants | 4755 | Eczema | 0.78 | 0.69–0.89 |
| Various probiotics [55] | Premature infants | 10,520 | Necrotizing enterocolitis | 0.53 | 0.42–0.66 |
| Various probiotics [55] | Premature infants | 9507 | Death | 0.79 | 0.68–0.93 |
| Various probiotics [55] | Premature infants | 8707 | Sepsis | 0.88 | 0.77–1.0 |
RR, relative risk; OR, odds ratio; CI, confidence interval.