Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a common pregnancy complication associated with adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes. Probiotic supplementation has been proposed as a non-pharmacological intervention, although its effectiveness remains debated. A study published in the International Journal of General Medicine evaluated the methodological quality and reported efficacy of systematic reviews and meta-analyses (SRs/MAs) examining probiotic supplementation in pregnant women with GDM.

Four electronic databases were searched for English-language SRs/MAs published between 2017 and 2024. Methodological quality was assessed using PRISMA 2020, AMSTAR 2, and ROBIS tools. Sixteen SRs/MAs were included in the evaluation.

According to AMSTAR 2, four reviews were rated as low quality, while the remaining studies were rated very low. PRISMA reporting completeness exceeded 80% for 8 of 27 items, whereas items 5, 8, and 22 showed completeness below 60%. At the study level, 12 SRs/MAs achieved overall PRISMA reporting completeness above 80%. ROBIS assessment indicated low risk of bias in Phase 1, Domain 1, Domain 3, and six items of Domain 4, as well as 12 items in Phase 3; however, all reviews were rated high risk in Domain 2.

Regarding efficacy, probiotic supplementation was associated with improvements in fasting plasma glucose (FPG), insulin-related indices (FSI, HOMA-IR, HOMA-B, QUICKI), lipid parameters (TG, TC, HDL-C, VLDL-C), inflammatory marker C-reactive protein (CRP), oxidative stress markers (NO, MDA, GSH, TAC), and neonatal risk indicators. However, heterogeneity and overlap among primary studies were identified.

Probiotic supplementation demonstrated reported benefits in metabolic and inflammatory biomarkers related to GDM and maternal and neonatal outcomes. However, overall certainty of evidence remains limited due to suboptimal methodological quality, heterogeneity, and overlap among included primary studies.