Dynamic interactions among gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), gut microbiota, inflammation, oxidative stress, and probiotics are increasingly acknowledged. This meta-analysis aimed to summarize the effects of probiotics in GDM, focusing on lifestyle intervention and pre-intervention washout, in addition to metabolic, inflammation, oxidative stress, and pregnancy outcomes. Three electronic databases (i.e., PubMed, Scopus, and CENTRAL) were searched from inception until October 2020. A meta-analysis was performed, and the effect sizes were reported as either mean differences or odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals. Altogether, 10 randomized controlled trials enrolling 594 participants were included. The meta-analysis indicated that probiotics supplementation effectively reduced fasting plasma glucose by 3.10 mg/dL, and subgroup analyses suggested that the duration of intervention, number of species, pre-intervention washout period, and dietary intervention may determine the effects of probiotics. Probiotics also reduced the level of inflammatory markers (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-α, and malondialdehyde), incidence of macrosomia, and newborn hospitalization. In conclusion, this meta-analysis suggests that probiotics may have positive effects on metabolic, inflammation, oxidative stress, and neonatal outcomes in women with GDM. Additionally, diet and pre-intervention washout may modify the effects of probiotics. Future studies are warranted on a larger scale to ascertain the clinical significance.
Keywords: gestational diabetes; glycemic control; gut microbiota; inflammation; insulin resistance; meta-analysis; neonatal outcome; oxidative stress; probiotics.