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    Ingredient guide · Ingredient reference

    Reuteri DSM 17938 and infant colic: keep the studied population attached

    A small placebo-controlled trial found reduced crying and fussing with L. reuteri DSM 17938 in breastfed infants with colic. The result should not be transferred automatically to another strain, feeding pattern or infant risk group.

    Read the evidence ↓

    Supplement Science Insights Editorial Team

    Published September 23, 2026

    The strain code is part of the intervention

    The Canadian trial randomized 52 breastfed infants with colic to DSM 17938 or placebo for 21 days. Parents recorded crying and fussing in structured diaries. [1]

    The probiotic group had lower crying and fussing measures by the end of treatment. These findings concern a named strain in a specific short-term setting, not every product labeled reuteri. [1]

    Infant safety and symptom assessment still matter

    The small study does not establish benefit for all formula-fed infants or safety in premature or seriously ill infants. NCCIH notes particular concerns about probiotic use in vulnerable infants, so ordinary retail availability is not proof of suitability. [1][2]

    Persistent crying also needs appropriate pediatric assessment rather than an assumption that it is uncomplicated colic. Funding and conflicts were not fully assessed from the trial abstract used here, and no individual dosing recommendation is inferred. [1][2]

    A matching species name is insufficient

    Imagine one bottle lists DSM 17938 and another lists a different reuteri strain. The shared species name does not make the second bottle the intervention tested in this trial.

    Evidence summary — Reuteri DSM 17938 and infant colic
    DetailInterpretation
    52 infantsBreastfed colic population
    21 daysShort-term study
    DSM 17938Specific strain
    Reuteri DSM 17938 and infant colic: keep the studied population attached — original article outline diagram
    Original editorial diagram of this article’s sections; no product photograph or clinical finding is depicted.

    Sources for this article

    1. Probiotics for infantile colic: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial investigating Lactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938 - PubMed
      Source consulted: 2026-09-19. This is a reference resource, not a claim that we conducted the studies or tested a product.
    2. Probiotics: Usefulness and Safety | NCCIH
      Source consulted: 2026-09-19. This is a reference resource, not a claim that we conducted the studies or tested a product.