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IPA is a global non-profit organization that advocates for the safe and efficacious use of Pre-, Pro- and Post- biotics. We bring together the knowledge and resources of scientists, healthcare professionals, academics and regulators to define clear standards that advance the quality of Pre-, Pro- and Post- biotics.

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Safety of Probiotics in Pregnancy*

Pregnant women expect big changes.

No more alcohol, tobacco or other harmful substances; healthy meals and exercise are a given. When it comes to supplements however, recommendations and usage are not so clear cut. Sure, most women will choke down the horse tablet called a prenatal vitamin but with probiotics, most decline, for reasons that most likely amount more to confusion than fear.

For instance, only 341 out of 2491 (13.7 %) mothers reported use of probiotics during pregnancy in a recent study from the Netherlands. Researchers mined data from a large ongoing prospective birth cohort study called Wheezing Illnesses Study Leidsche Rijn (WHISTLER) study. Nicole Rutten and colleagues published their results entitled Maternal use of probiotics during pregnancy and effects on their offspring’s health in an unselected population in the European Journal of Pediatrics online in August of 2015.

Additional numbers come from the Massachusetts General Hospital National Pregnancy Registry for Atypical Antipsychotics. Results were reported in Archives of Women’s Mental Health in 2015.

Excluding prenatal vitamins and folic acid, the most common supplements used were:

omega-3 fatty acids (38.0 %)
vitamin D (11.0 %)
calcium (8.2 %)
iron (4.7 %)
probiotics (2.6%)

Probiotics may assist with vaginosis or constipation and assist in gestational diabetes as well as boost immunity. The question appears to be:

Are probiotics safe in pregnancy?

Practitioners Jackie Elias and colleagues addressed the issue in Canadian Family Physician journal in March of 2011.

A review did not report adverse outcomes. Systemic infections are thought to be a concern but the authors reported low risk: less than 1 per I million users of Lactobacillus probiotics and 1 per 5.6 million users of Saccharomyces boulardii.

A meta-analysis and systematic review of 8 randomized control trials of probiotic use in more than 1500 pregnant women was reviewed.

Probiotic treatment began between 32 and 36 weeks gestation until delivery for most women. There were no increases in miscarriages, malformations or differences in birth weight, gestational age or number of cesarean sections.

The authors report: “Probiotics do not appear to pose any safety concerns for pregnant and lactating women. Systemic absorption is rare when probiotics are used by healthy individuals, and the current literature does not indicate an increase in adverse pregnancy outcomes.”

For specific data go to the article Are probiotics safe for use during pregnancy and lactation?

More people use probiotic supplements and foods than ever before. Surely, their use in pregnancy will become more commonplace as science teases out the facts on safety.

* A version of this article, also authored by IPA, titled “What to Expect of Probiotics in Pregnancy” first appeared June 22, 2016 in Whole Foods magazine, an informational resource for natural food retailers and suppliers.