Maternal perspectives on the use of probiotics in infants: a cross-sectional survey

Abstract

BackgroundProbiotic products that may modify the intestinal microbiota are becoming increasingly available and known to consumers due to their potential to prevent or treat many pediatric health conditions. As scientific knowledge of the health benefits of probiotics increases, it is important to identify factors that may prevent their successful integration into patient care as well as to ensure effective translation of research findings. The aim of this study was to describe maternal perspectives on probiotics and their use in infants.MethodsMothers with a child aged two years or younger enrolled in the Alberta Pregnancy Outcomes and Nutrition (APrON) study were invited by email to complete a 29 item self-administered web-based questionnaire.ResultsA total of 413 mothers of the 1327 contacted completed the questionnaire. The majority (99.3%) of respondents had heard of probiotics and were aware that they contained live bacteria (87.0%); 89.3% had used a product containing probiotics themselves but only 50.8% had given one to their infant. Most mothers indicated they believed that probiotics were beneficial (73.1%) and none thought they were harmful. Over a third of mothers did not feel informed enough to make a decision on whether probiotics were safe to use in infants (36.6%).ConclusionsThe study demonstrates that awareness and understanding of probiotics is high among mothers in Alberta, Canada. However, there is still uncertainty regarding the benefit of probiotics as well as safety in infants which could be important factors determining therapeutic use in the future. Further studies that demonstrate beneficial effects and safety of probiotics in healthy infants as well as targeted knowledge translation should help to address these potential concerns.

Why parents are skeptical about using probiotics preventively for small children: a Danish qualitative study

“…Thus, knowledge is missing about how parents perceive probiotics and the reasons they might have for choosing or declining to use probiotics for their children. A quantitative study has demonstrated that mothers have a high level of knowledge about what probiotics are, but the very same mothers were also found to be unsure about the health benefits of probiotics; one in three expressed uncertainty about whether it is safe to provide probiotics to their infants [13]. Currently, we do not know what explains this uncertainty, and it is therefore also unclear how best to respond to it.…”

Experiences of a multi-ethnic population with obesity receiving dietary interventions and probiotics in pregnancy, from the Healthy Mums and Babies randomised trial

“…ty, 32 there is a scarcity of literature evaluating women's feedback on participation in these trials. One trial evaluated maternal feedback on use of probiotics in their infants 33 reported: majority had heard of probiotics (99%); were aware they contained live bacteria (87%); had used probiotics themselves (89%); and believed they were beneficial (73%). None thought they were harmful, but only 51% gave probiotics to their infants.…”

“…None thought they were harmful, but only 51% gave probiotics to their infants. 33 Although women are aware probiotics contain live bacteria, it appears that probiotics are well tolerated in pregnancy and the majority of women have no hesitation in using them in the hope for health benefits. Disappointingly increasing evidence does not support use of probiotics to reduce GDM and other pregnancy complications.…”

Safety of Probiotic Bacteria

“…However, several studies have shown controversial results regarding the use of probiotics in critical patients. The safety of probiotics is well documented, even in infants, and they are generally recognized as innocuous substances (Bridgman et al, 2014). Nevertheless, a growing number of recent studies have increasingly shown the various roles of probiotics and have highlighted many health benefits of probiotics.…”