Giving probiotics to pregnant mice can enhance both the immune system and behavior of the mothers and their offspring, according to a new study led by The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and College of Medicine. "These results suggest that certain probiotics given to mothers during pregnancy can improve their offspring's behavior and may affect the metabolism of common amino acids in our diets. Probiotics may also help counteract the negative effects of prenatal ," said study senior author Tamar Gur, MD, Ph.
D., endowed director of the Soter Women's Health Research Program and a researcher with Ohio State's Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health. Study findings are in the journal .
Probiotics are beneficial live microorganisms, such as bacteria, that help support healthy digestive and immune systems. Many studies have attested to the benefits of probiotics, which are considered safe to take during pregnancy. Researchers led by Jeffrey Galley, Ph.
D., first author on the publication, found that a specific probiotic, Bifidobacterium dentium, may change how the body processes certain , such as tryptophan. During pregnancy, tryptophan helps control inflammation and brain development.
"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 ," said Gur, who also is an associate professor of .