DISCLAIMER: This post contains affiliate links, meaning I may get a commission if you decide to purchase something through my links at no cost to you. Please read my Disclaimer for more info.
DISCLAIMER: This post is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding you or your baby’s health. Please read my Medical Disclaimer for more info
Probiotics are becoming more and more popular in baby and toddler foods and in the supplement area of your local store aisles.
And some of you may be here wondering, “What even are probiotics?” and “Are they really worth buying and using for my baby?”.
Luckily, I’m here to help you better understand probiotics and their potential uses for your baby!
What Are Probiotics?
Probiotics are the ‘good’ bacteria and yeast that have positive benefits for your body, especially your digestive system.
They are naturally present in your gut microbiome (the microorganisms, bacteria, viruses, protozoa, and fungi found in your GI tract).
What Do Baby Probiotics Do?
When you take probiotics, the point is to increase the number of good bacteria that help you effectively fight off infections.
Good bacteria support your immune system and also help control inflammation in the body.
Certain types of good bacteria can also:
- Help your body digest food.
- Keep harmful bacteria from getting out of control and making you sick.
- Create vitamins.
- Help support the cells that line your gut to prevent harmful bacteria that you may have consumed (through food or drinks) from entering your blood.
- Help your body breakdown and absorb medications.
Can Baby Probiotics Help Colicky Babies?
A 2011 study on 50 exclusively breastfed colicky babies (ages 2-16 weeks) showed an outcome of reduced crying.
Babies in this study were either given a probiotic or a placebo so they could see the differences.
At all stages in this study, crying time for the babies in the probiotic receiving group was less than the placebo group. Median crying times for the probiotic group were 95, 60, and 35 minutes per day, vs. 185, 150, and 90 minutes for the placebo group at 7, 14, and 21 days.
Each infant in this study received 5 drops of L reuteri (Lactobacillus Rhamnosus) or the placebo each morning 30 minutes before their morning feeding.
And this is exactly what I did with my daughters probiotics as well, and I felt that they did make a difference by minimizing her crying when she had colic!
Another study in 2014 found a health and financial benefit of treating healthy babies in their first three months with one specific probiotic type. This helped avoid the onset of GI conditions, like reflux and constipation, and reduce overall crying time.
Are They Safe for Babies?
Most studies on infants and probiotics point to the safety of their use in healthy infants. Keep in mind that there is still a lack of significant research on probiotics and infants.
You should discuss probiotics use for your infant with their pediatrician before using them. This is for a few reasons:
- Several strains work in different ways.
- The FDA considers probiotics a supplement. Therefore, they are not regulated like medications; thus, not proven to be safe.
- There is no official recommended dose for infants at this time.
- Some of them have side effects that cause allergic reactions, stomach pain, diarrhea, and gas and bloating.
Infants require special care. It would be best if you talked to your child’s pediatrician about any supplement before giving it to your infant. The doctor can discuss the need to use probiotics and recommend them or another course of treatment most appropriate for your child.
Foods That Contain Probiotics
- yogurt
- other dairy products
- sauerkraut
- pickles
Conclusion on Baby Probiotics
If you’re interested in giving your baby probiotics, talk to their pediatrician first. Many providers may suggest giving them a try to see if they help your baby.
But it’s important to remember that not all probiotics have the same effects and benefits.
They generally don’t cause any harm. Therefore, my personal opinion is that I’m happy with giving my toddler daughter and myself probiotics. But for babies, I only recommend giving your baby a probiotic to help with colic, gas, or reflux since newborns shouldn’t be consuming anything else except breastmilk or formula until they reach 6 months of age.
I gave my daughter probiotics as a baby for her colic, and luckily they helped reduce her crying with no adverse side effects, which led us to continue using them!
I chose this probiotic because it has the most research done on it and has helped babies with colic in the studies discussed above.
If you have any further questions, please reach out to me on Instagram or send me an email!
Sources
Probiotics and Infant Gut Microbiome
DISCLAIMER: This post is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding you or your baby’s health. Please read my Medical Disclaimer for more info
DISCLAIMER: This post contains affiliate links, meaning I may get a commission if you decide to purchase something through my links at no cost to you. Please read my Disclaimer for more info.
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