Introduction: Recent results indicate that human mastitis and painful breastfeeding may be characterized by a mammary bacterial dysbiosis, a process in which the population of potential pathogens increases at the expense of the normal mammary microbiota. The objective of the present study is the evaluation of three different doses of Lactobacillus fermentum CECT5716 to reduce the load of Staphylococcus in the breastmilk of women suffering from painful breastfeeding.
Materials and methods: A randomized double-blinded controlled study with four study groups was performed. Three groups received the probiotic strain for 3 weeks at doses of 3×10(9) colony-forming units (CFU)/day, 6×10(9) CFU/day, or 9×10(9) CFU/day. The fourth group received a placebo of maltodextrin. The main outcome of the study was Staphylococcus counts in breastmilk. The secondary outcomes were Streptococcus, Lactobacillus, and total bacteria counts in breastmilk, immunoglobulin A and interleukin 8 concentrations in breastmilk, and breast pain scores.
Results: At the end of the study, a significant decrease in the Staphylococcus load was observed in the probiotic groups compared with the baseline loads (p=0.045), whereas the control group maintained similar levels over time. A significant difference in the pain score was observed among the groups receiving the three probiotic doses compared with the control group (p=0.035, p=0.000, and p=0.028, respectively). A dose-response effect could not be observed because the three doses tested induced similar effects, and no significant differences were detected.
Conclusions: We conclude that L. fermentum CECT5716 is an efficient treatment for breast pain during lactation associated with a high level of Staphylococcus in breastmilk.