Across 3 studies, all reported beneficial effects of Lactobacillus reuteri UALre-16 on reducing hospitalization duration, with effect sizes ranging from small to large. Two of the three studies found statistically significant reductions. The primary studied populations were children with acute gastroenteritis and preterm neonates, though doses and study durations were not consistently reported.
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). Effect sizes varied widely across populations (small reduction in children with gastroenteritis vs. large reduction in preterm neonates), suggesting the benefit may be population-specific.
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.