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Updated: Jan 24, 2026

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Probiotics and developmental progression in healthy preschool-aged children: a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

Hafiz Haris Ahmad1,2, Blake Peck1, Daniel Terry1,3,4

  • 1Institute of Health and Wellbeing, Federation University, Ballarat, Australia.

Nutritional Neuroscience
|January 22, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Probiotic supplementation did not significantly impact developmental progress in healthy preschoolers. While improvements were seen in both groups, age and diet were key factors, and the study was underpowered.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Health
  • Microbiome Research
  • Developmental Psychology

Background:

  • The gut-brain axis exhibits a bidirectional relationship, influencing overall health.
  • Probiotics have shown benefits for mental flexibility and stress in the elderly.
  • Research on probiotics' impact on young children's development is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the effect of probiotic supplementation on the developmental progress of healthy children.
  • To explore potential influences on cognitive and behavioral development in early childhood.

Main Methods:

  • A six-month prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involving 105 healthy children.
  • Participants received either probiotic or placebo, with developmental assessments using ASQ-3 and ASQ:SE-2.
  • Analysis included per-protocol and baseline age group comparisons.

Main Results:

  • Both probiotic and placebo groups showed improvements in 3 of 6 ASQ-3 developmental domains.
  • Children older than 44 months had significantly better developmental scores at baseline.
  • Increasing age and higher fruit/vegetable intake were significant confounders for development.

Conclusions:

  • Probiotic supplementation did not significantly influence developmental progress in healthy preschoolers.
  • The study was underpowered to detect significant effects on the primary outcome.
  • Further large-scale trials with diverse populations are recommended to clarify probiotic impacts.
Abstract

Keywords:
Probioticschildrenclinical trialcognitiondevelopmental progressearly childhood educationgut microbiomegut-brain axis

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