About this trial
The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate whether daily probiotic supplementation with Bifidobacterium bifidum (Bifipral® drops) can reduce crying time in formula-fed infants aged 5 months or younger diagnosed with infant colic (according to Rome IV criteria), with or without concomitant atopic dermatitis.
The main questions it aims to answer are:
* Does daily administration of B. bifidum for 8 weeks achieve at least a 50% reduction in average daily crying duration compared to placebo? * Does B. bifidum supplementation improve secondary outcomes, including crying frequency, sleep quality, bowel movement frequency, stool consistency, fecal microbiota composition, short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) levels, and SCORAD score in infants with atopic dermatitis? Researchers will compare formula-fed infants receiving Bifipral® drops (containing B. bifidum strains BFP19® and BFP29®) to a comparison group receiving an indistinguishable placebo to see if the probiotic safely improves colic symptoms and gut microbiota balance.
Participants will be asked to:
* Complete a 7-day observational run-in period to confirm eligibility and record baseline symptoms in a daily diary. * Administer 5 drops daily of the study product (probiotic or placebo) for 8 weeks. * Complete daily diaries tracking crying duration/frequency, sleep parameters, and bowel habits. * Attend 3 clinical visits (Baseline, Week 8, and a Safety Follow-up 2-4 weeks post-treatment). * Provide fecal samples at Baseline (Visit 1) and Week 8 (Visit 2) for microbiota profiling and SCFA analysis.
Eligibility criteria
Qualifiers
Non-breastfed infants aged ≤ 5 months diagnosed with infant colic according to Rome IV criteria, with or without atopic dermatitis.
Written informed consent from parents or legal guardians.
Disqualifiers
Age > 5 months.
Exclusive breastfeeding or mixed feeding.
Absence of infant colic diagnosis.
Presence of chronic diseases, neoplasms, immunodeficiencies, chronic infections, autoimmune diseases, IBD, celiac disease, genetic-metabolic disorders, cystic fibrosis or other chronic pulmonary diseases, cardiovascular/respiratory/GI malformations, neuropsychiatric disorders, neurological conditions, or vegetarian/vegan diet.
Trial design
Treatments tested in this trial
- Bifidobacterium bifidum BFP19® and BFP29® (Bifipral®)
- Placebo