Salvatore, S.; Carlino, M.; Sestito, S.; Concolino, D.; Agosti, M.; Pensabene, L. Nutraceuticals and Pain Disorders of the Gut–Brain Interaction in Infants and Children: A Narrative Review and Practical Insights. Nutrients2024, 16, 349.
Salvatore, S.; Carlino, M.; Sestito, S.; Concolino, D.; Agosti, M.; Pensabene, L. Nutraceuticals and Pain Disorders of the Gut–Brain Interaction in Infants and Children: A Narrative Review and Practical Insights. Nutrients 2024, 16, 349.
Salvatore, S.; Carlino, M.; Sestito, S.; Concolino, D.; Agosti, M.; Pensabene, L. Nutraceuticals and Pain Disorders of the Gut–Brain Interaction in Infants and Children: A Narrative Review and Practical Insights. Nutrients2024, 16, 349.
Salvatore, S.; Carlino, M.; Sestito, S.; Concolino, D.; Agosti, M.; Pensabene, L. Nutraceuticals and Pain Disorders of the Gut–Brain Interaction in Infants and Children: A Narrative Review and Practical Insights. Nutrients 2024, 16, 349.
Abstract
Different nutraceuticals are often considered by parents of infants and children with abdominal pain and disorders of the gut-brain interaction. Herb extracts and natural compounds have long been used in traditional medicine, but clinical pediatric trials are very limited. This narrative review based on relevant studies identified through Pubmed-Medline literature search updated to October 2023, focused on the effect of nutraceuticals in infantile colic, functional abdominal pain and irritable bowel syndrome in children and adolescents. Significant reduction of colic episodes and crying time was reported in two studies on fennel (seeds oil or tea), in three studies on different multiple herbal extracts (all including fennel), in one study on Mentha piperita, and in at least two double-blind randomized controlled studies on Lactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938 and Bifidobacterium lactis BB-12 (108 CFU/day for at least 21 days) in breast-fed infants. Compared to placebo, in children with functional abdominal pain or irritable bowel syndrome a significant reduction of pain was reported in two studies supplementing peppermint oil capsules or psyllium fibers, in one study on corn fiber cookies or partial hydrolysed guar gum or a specific multiple herbal extract (STW-5) or vitamin D supplementation. To date, there is a moderate certainty of evidence with a weak grade of recommendation for Lactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938 (108 CFU/day) for reducing pain intensity in children with functional abdominal pain and for Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (1-3 x109 CFU twice daily) for reducing pain frequency and intensity in children with IBS. Further large and well-designed pediatric studies are needed to prove efficacy and safety of different herbal extracts and prolonged use of studied products in infants and children with pain disorders of the gut-brain interaction.
Medicine and Pharmacology, Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health
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This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
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