Are Probiotics Safe during Pregnancy?

And are there health benefits to taking probiotics in pregnancy?

Probiotics in pregnancy. It’s an interesting subject, and one that prompts women to ask if probiotics are safe to take during pregnancy. And not only are they asking the question about whether it’s safe to take probiotics during pregnancy, but they are also asking whether there are positive health benefits to doing so. Lets consider this question.

Firstly lets consider the safety of probiotics in pregnancy. It has been known for a long time that there are bacteria in the digestive system of everyone. In fact suggestions are that there are over 500 different types of bacteria in your digestive system. So taking a probiotics product is not introducing bacteria into an otherwise bacteria free system, it is merely restoring the balance between good, or friendly bacteria and bad ones which might be making you sick, perhaps by causing diarrhoea.

There are various strains of Lactobacillus (lactic acid bacteria) and Acidophilus, and these are the most commonly found in most probiotics products. There is no evidence of any serious ill effects to the health from taking high quality probiotics products that contain these microorganisms. This includes in pregnant women. A little gas or a mild digestive upset may ensue for a short time but this should be mild and brief.

That being said anyone considering taking any form of supplement should always consult your doctor first. This particularly applies to pregnant women. In some specific circumstances, for example in people who are particularly immunosuppressed, or people taking any medication, medical advice is very important.

However as the strains of bacteria present in probiotics products are not regulated care should be taken. There are some more esoteric forms of probiotics that include such bacteria as soil-based microorganisms, and care should be taken with these.

However whether it is safe to take probiotics during pregnancy or not, there is no point in doing so unless there is some positive benefit attracted from their use. Are the health benefits to taking probiotics in pregnancy?

The benefits of probiotics during pregnancy have been examined by many experts. Many claim that there are specific reasons for pregnant women to take probiotics. These benefits include an improvement in the health of the digestive system, a strengthening of the immune system, the management and prevention of eczema in the child as well as reducing the risk of diarrhoea. But solid peer reviewed scientific evidence is a little thin on the ground.

A study in Finland has found that taking probiotics in pregnancy may help reduce the risk of a serious form of obesity called adiposity. Another study has also suggested it may reduce the risk of diabetes and even reduce the risk of obesity during the life of the baby, so it would seem there is some evidence pointing to positive benefits from taking probiotics during pregnancy. But there’s little else.

Unless you take a specific supplement designed to improve your digestion.

As suggested there is no point in taking probiotics when you’re pregnant, safe or not, if there are no positive benefits. It would seem that, despite the fact that there are some studies suggesting some benefits from taking probiotics during pregnancy, the evidence of a general health benefit from taking probiotics during pregnancy is limited.

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