Probiotics During Pregnancy Could Help Mom and Baby, Study Suggests

Probiotics have been a popular supplement for people of all ages, helping with issues ranging from digestive problems to skin conditions. They are generally safe and easy to incorporate into daily routines, with minimal side effects and potential benefits that often outweigh any risks. But what about taking probiotics during pregnancy?

A recent study published in the scientific journal Brain, Behavior and Immunity explored the effects of probiotics on prenatal stress. The focus of researchers at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center was a specific probiotic, Bifidobacterium dentium, which may play a role in how the body processes amino acids, such as tryptophan. During pregnancy, tryptophan is particularly important as it helps regulate inflammation and supports brain development in the baby.

“We have strong evidence this specific probiotic helped reduce stress-related problems in both mothers and their offspring, including helping the babies gain weight and improving their social behavior,” said Tamar Gur, MD, PhD, the study’s senior author and a researcher with Ohio State’s Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health in a press release.

Gur’s team has previously studied how prenatal stress can negatively affect brain development and lead to behavioral changes in offspring. In their research, they’ve found that stress during pregnancy can cause inflammation in the brain, disrupt amino acid metabolism and result in long-term reductions in social behavior. Additionally, it can alter the gut microbiome in offspring.

This new study expands their understanding of the connection between gut health and prenatal stress. Specifically, it shows that probiotics, like Bifidobacterium dentium, may help improve amino acid metabolism (amino acids like tryptophan) and reduce behavior and immune issues related to prenatal stress.

While this study puts forward a promising approach to prenatal probiotics there still is more research that needs to be done. Expanding the study, which was conducted in mice to clinical trials among pregnant women, may be able to tell us even more about probiotic benefits and effectiveness.