AUTHOR=Lin Feng-Li , Chen Chia-Min , Sun Cheuk-Kwan , Cheng Yu-Shian , Tzang Ruu-Fen , Chiu Hsien-Jane , Wang Ming-Yu , Cheng Ying-Chih , Hung Kuo-Chuan 

TITLE=Effects of probiotics on neurocognitive outcomes in infants and young children: a meta-analysis

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Public Health

VOLUME=11

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1323511

DOI=10.3389/fpubh.2023.1323511

ISSN=2296-2565

ABSTRACT=<sec id="sec1"><title>Background</title><p>Therapeutic efficacies of probiotics in improving neurocognitive functions in infants and young children remained unclear. This meta-analysis focused on different cognitive outcomes in this population.</p></sec><sec id="sec2"><title>Methods</title><p>Major databases were searched electronically from inception to October 2023 to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that investigated the therapeutic efficacy of probiotics in enhancing cognitive functions assessed by standardized tasks. The overall effect size was calculated as standardized mean difference (SMD) based on a random effects model.</p></sec><sec id="sec3"><title>Results</title><p>Nine RCTs with 3,026 participants were identified. Both our primary and secondary results demonstrated no significant difference in neurocognitive outcomes between infants/children treated with probiotics and those receiving placebos. However, our subgroup analysis of studies that offered a probiotics treatment course of over six months demonstrated a significantly better neurocognitive outcome than placebos (SMD = 0.21, <italic>p</italic> = 0.03, two studies with 451 participants), but this finding was based on only two RCTs.</p></sec><sec id="sec4"><title>Conclusion</title><p>Despite lack of significant therapeutic effects of probiotics on neurocognitive outcomes, our finding of a positive impact of probiotics on neurocognitive development in those undergoing treatment for over six months may provide an important direction for further investigations into the enhancement of therapeutic effects of probiotics on neurocognitive development in infants and young children.</p></sec><sec id="sec4001"><title>Systematic review registration</title><p>PROSPERO CRD42023463412.</p></sec>