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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2023 Aug 9;15(16):3513.
doi: 10.3390/nu15163513.

Beneficial Effects of Limosilactobacillus reuteri PBS072 and Bifidobacterium breve BB077 on Mood Imbalance, Self-Confidence, and Breastfeeding in Women during the First Trimester Postpartum

Franco Vicariotto  1 , Patrizia Malfa  2 , Michela Torricelli  3 , Lisa Lungaro  4 , Giacomo Caio  4   5 , Vincenzo De Leo  6
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Beneficial Effects of Limosilactobacillus reuteri PBS072 and Bifidobacterium breve BB077 on Mood Imbalance, Self-Confidence, and Breastfeeding in Women during the First Trimester Postpartum

Franco Vicariotto et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

Background: The post-delivery period could be characterized by psychological distress (e.g., anxiety, sadness, and irritability), leading to postpartum depression (PPD). Objective: The present clinical study assesses the effect of probiotic supplementation containing Limosilactobacillus reuteri PBS072 and Bifidobacterium breve BB077 (4 × 109 CFU/day) on the mother's mood and breastfeeding quality during the first trimester after delivery. Methods: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Controlled (RDBPC) trial was carried out on 200 healthy new mothers divided into an active group taking a supplement containing Limosilactobacillus reuteri PBS072 and Bifidobacterium breve BB077 (4 × 109 CFU/day) plus multivitamins and a control group (multivitamin complex only) for 90 days. Symptoms related to maternal depression and breastfeeding quality were evaluated at days 45 and 90 using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and the Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale-Short Form (BSES-SF). Results: At days 45 and 90, the probiotic treatment significantly ameliorated the mothers' mood compared to the control treatment (p < 0.001). Likewise, the breastfeeding quality and the baby's cries significantly improved in the probiotic group (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Microbiota alterations could influence a post-delivery woman's mental state. According to our results, L. reuteri PBS072 and B. breve BB077 are potential candidates that are able to improve stress resilience in the postpartum period.

Keywords: Bifidobacterium breve BB077; Limosilactobacillus reuteri PBS072; breastfeeding; delivery; depression; gut–brain axis; postpartum; probiotics.

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Conflict of interest statement

Patrizia Malfa is a Synbalance srl employee. She had no role in the design of this study; the collection, analyses or interpretation of data; she contributed to the writing of this manuscript.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flowchart of this study.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Study timeline.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Score obtained from the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale questionnaire. Comparison between the active and control products at T1 (a) and T2 (b). The boxplots show the minimum, the median, and the maximum of the values collected. Statistical differences were calculated using Mann–Whitney U test: * p-value < 0.001.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Score obtained from the Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale—Short Form (BSES-SF) questionnaire. Comparison between active and control at (a) T1 and (b) T2. The boxplots show the minimum, the median, and the maximum of the values collected. Statistical differences were calculated using Mann–Whitney U test: * p-value < 0.001.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Average number of crying/fussing events. Comparison between the active and control product at T1 (a) and T2 (b). The boxplots show the minimum, the median, and the maximum of the collected values. Statistical differences were calculated using Mann–Whitney U test: * p-value < 0.001.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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