Across 3 studies, 3 reported beneficial effects of Lactobacillus reuteri UALre-16 on reducing hospitalization duration, with effect sizes ranging from small to large. The evidence is strongest in clinical populations of children with acute gastroenteritis and preterm neonates, though the small sample sizes and conflicting effect magnitudes limit certainty. The predominant effect size is mixed, as two studies show small effects and one shows a large effect.
Caveats: Evidence base is small (only 3 studies) — conclusions should be considered preliminary. Available evidence is overwhelmingly positive — clinical literature in this area is subject to publication bias (null-result studies are less likely to be published or indexed). The large effect size observed in one systematic review may reflect older or less rigorous evidence, while more recent trials show smaller effects.
L. reuteri use was also associated with a reduced duration of hospitalization (three RCTs, n = 284, MD -0.54 days, 95% CI [-1.09, 0.0]).
Compared with the placebo group, patients in the L. reuteri group had a shorter duration of hospitalization (P = 0.048).
Meta-analysis of RCTs estimated that the duration of hospitalization (-10.77 days; 95% CI, -13.67 to -7.86; 3 RCTs) was reduced in the L reuteri group.