Myth-buster
200 pregnant women at risk of preterm birth got a probiotic — and it worked no better than placebo.
This careful trial contradicts any popular hope that vaginal probiotics can reduce preterm birth after a threat of early labor; but because it's among the first studies on this specific strain in this narrow clinical group, the picture is now contested, not settled.
The PROPEV trial gave women with a threatened preterm birth episode either a Lactobacillus gasseri probiotic or a placebo. Neither spontaneous preterm birth rates nor any other measured outcome — including newborn health and changes in vaginal bacteria — showed a statistically significant difference between the groups. The result suggests that, at least in this acute clinical setting, the probiotic offered no clear benefit over a dummy pill.
Where this fits in the evidence
This is among the first studies we've indexed on Lactobacillus gasseri LQ-36 for Reduced Preterm Births — treat it as an early signal until more research accumulates.
The study
- Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT)
- n = 200
- 2025-05-08
- Biomedicines
This is a plain-language summary of a research finding, not medical advice. Pillser surfaces research signals to help you decide what's worth investigating — always consult a qualified professional before changing what you take.