Benefits Of Probiotics For Infants

Probiotic Lreuteri Can Relieve Infant Colic

If your baby has ever cried for hours on end for no apparent reason, youll know how stressful and exhausting a colicky baby can be. Actually, heartbreaking is probably the best word to describe how it makes a parent feel.

Colicky infants have significantly fewer beneficial bacteria in their intestinal tracts than those without colic, so supporting a babys healthy gut flora makes sense. BioGaia Probiotic Drops contain Lactobacillus reuteri, a specific probiotic that helps restore balance to your babys gut and reduces the symptoms of colic. Definitely worth a try, so have a chat to your pharmacist.

Benefits Of Probiotic Powder For Babies

Probiotics are all the rage. As we learn more about the critically important roles that gut flora play in our overall well-being, probiotic drinks, foods, and supplements continue to gain popularity. Even if probiotics are good for grown-ups, however, are they also good for babies? Learn about the benefits ofbaby probiotics in this guide, and find out the best ways to feed probiotics to your little one.

The Benefits Of Probiotics

Theyre especially helpful for diarrhea or constipation both of which are common for kids, especially during potty training. Probiotics may help ease some of the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease as well.

Children already taking antibiotics can benefit from probiotics, too. Antibiotics can cause stomach pain, constipation or diarrhea, and probiotics can ease these side effects. But not all probiotics are effective while taking antibiotics, so talk to your childs pediatrician or pharmacist about which probiotic is best for your child.

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Challenges To Implementation: Parents Will Need To Purchase The Probiotics

As with any nonFDA-regulated product, it will be important to guide patients toward reputable manufacturers to ensure homogeneity of dosing. A 29-day supply of BioGaia probiotic drops , which costs $37 according to the manufacturers Web site, , should be affordable for most parents. Otherwise, little stands in the way of using this therapy to reduce the crying and subsequent stress associated with infant colic.

Probiotics For Babies: Role Of Probiotics

Probiotics for babies play an essential role in a childs development. The first years of life are decisive for a diversified and healthy intestinal flora. The performance of the intestinal microbiota is crucial for the proper functioning of various activities of the human body.

The community of microorganisms that inhabit the gastrointestinal tract is so complex and important. That the scientific community has been publishing studies showing that it begins to be created even before we are born even during pregnancy. Therefore bacteria that the fetus receives through the umbilical cord and placenta already affect him, they mainly reflect the mothers diet.

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Probiotics Fail To Soothe Colicky Babies Randomized Study Finds

The researchers found that, contrary to many a weary parents hopes, the probiotic supplements may actually worsen babies discomfort.

Heres some news thats bound to disappoint many parents of colicky newborns: Giving babies supplements containing probiotics does not help reduce excessive crying.

In fact, such supplements may actually make symptoms worse.

Thats what a new, well-designed study published last week in BMJ has found.

The findings counter previous and much smaller studies that reported that probiotics specifically Lactobacillus reutieri could help reduce crying in colicky babies. Those earlier studies, though, had significant limitations, particularly in how they selected the infants that were followed.

The findings also differ from those reported earlier this year by a team of Italian researchers. That study found that giving all newborns probiotics supplements was associated with a reduced rate of fussiness and colic.

One in 5 infants

During those months, however, a colicky baby can turn an already very tiring period of parenthood into one of great frustration and exhaustion. Indeed, research has found that mothers of colicky babies tend to be more anxious and depressed than moms of non-colicky babies. They also tend to end breastfeeding earlier. Infant colic is also associated with an increased risk of shaken baby syndrome.

A double-blinded study

The Theory Versus The Evidence

The theoryWhen all babies are born, they have a sterile gut . After birth, baby probiotics and other bacteria are introduced to the gut through the breast milk or baby formulas, and later through the food they eat. By the time they are one year old, each child has their own distinct gut microbiome.

Experts believe that this first year of development may be critical for long-term gut health probiotics play a key role in forming a healthy digestive system. This allows your child to absorb essential nutrients and promotes a healthy immune system. This may help to prevent certain diseases in later life.

This is why parents who have babies diagnosed with – or who are high-risk for – certain diseases, may wish to supplement with baby probiotics. A high probiotic count can provide benefits to everyone and many parents are choosing to use probiotics for babies.

The evidenceDespite the surge in popularity of baby probiotics in recent years, the evidence of their benefits is somewhat mixed.

Evidence in support: “There has been some evidence for the use of baby probiotics for the use in infant colic, eczema, asthma, and food allergies,” explains Kumaran. “On a personal note, my daughter was five weeks old when she was diagnosed with severe eczema and soon after she was diagnosed with multiple food allergies. We used oral probiotics which I found were very helpful for improving her skin and also played a part in reducing the number of her food allergies.”

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Safety Of Probiotics And Prebiotics In Infants And Children

Concerns exist about the overall safety of administering probiotic products to high-risk patient groups, including adults, children, and term and preterm infants. Cases of serious infection have occurred and been reported in the literature.,,, Patients at risk would be those who are immunocompromised, including ill preterm neonates, and/or children who have intravenous catheters or other indwelling medical devices. In most cases, the offending organism that caused the sepsis seems to have stemmed from bacteria from the individual’s own endogenous flora. Sepsis has also been reported in adults, children, and infants who received probiotic supplements.,,, Land et al recently reported LGG probiotic sepsis occurring in immunocompromised infants and children. A medically fragile infant 6 weeks of age became septic with a strain of LGG that was being provided as a supplement. Molecular DNA-fingerprinting confirmed that the LGG probiotic supplement was the bacterial isolate from the infant. Neonatal sepsis and meningitis that were apparently associated with the administration of a probiotic supplement were also reported.,

The apparent safety to date of adding prebiotics to infant formula has been evaluated in the previously discussed RCTs reported by Boehm et al, Moro et al, Schmelzle et al, and Bettler and Euler.

If You Want To Prevent Antibiotic

If your baby is on an antibiotic for any reason, diarrhea may be a side effect, and a probiotic might help, according to Kaufmann. Based on findings, there seems to be an overall protective effect of probiotics in preventing antibiotic-associated diarrhea.

In fact, a double blind, placebo-controlled study found that infants receiving probiotics had less episodes of diarrhea than the control group Jirapinyo P, Densupsoontorn N, Thamonsiri N, Wongarn R. Prevention of antibiotic-associated diarrhea in infants by probiotics. J Med Assoc Thai. 2002.85 2:S739-42. .

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When Should My Baby Take A Probiotic

It depends. Although some baby probiotics might be labeled “daily,” it’s important to only give them to your child only when your pediatrician recommends it which could mean every day, or it could mean only under certain circumstances.

For instance, your doctor may recommend a daily probiotic if youre trying to treat colic, explains Dr. Gina Posner, M.D., F.A.A.P., a Fountain Valley, California-based pediatrician and member of the What to Expect Medical Review Board. But other times, your pediatrician may advise you to give your baby a probiotic only when he has an issue that warrants it, such as a stomach virus or if they’re starting an antibiotic. As always, talk to your doctor before starting probiotics.

Probiotic Supplementation Is Associated With Higher Bifidobacterium At One Week Of Age

Beta diversity assessment of microbial communities over a 6-month period of probiotics and no probiotics exposed infants. PCoA plots based on the Bray-Curtis dissimilarity distance show no distinct clustering of microbial communities at any age except for at 1 week. Table summary of PERMANOVA results ran on the Bray-Curtis dissimilarity, and weighted and unweighted UniFrac distances between the two groups. The values at the intersect of a blue cell and an orange cell show the estimated P value of the corresponding time points.

Differences in the abundance of taxa between the groups were assessed using two complimentary approaches at each time-point. Differences in the relative abundance of Bifidobacterium spp. in the probiotics group at one week of age was detected as significantly different using ANCOM . LEfSe results showing significantly different taxa between fecal samples between probiotics and no probiotics infants at one week of age. The cladogram reports the taxa showing different abundance values according to LEfSe. Colors indicate the lineages that are encoded within corresponding samples. Higher taxa abundance in the probiotics group is colored blue whereas higher taxa abundance in the no probiotics group is colored orange. Infants directly supplemented with BioGaia according to the manufacturers recommendations show similar results to . P< 0.05.

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Are There Any Side Effects Of Probiotics On Babies

There are no lasting side effects of probiotics on the baby, although there may be a few problems in the initial few days of starting probiotic intake. These are mild digestive problems, like flatulence, bloating, abdominal pain, constipation or diarrhoea. They occur as a result of the balance changing in the intestine, because of the shift to a higher number of friendly bacteria colonizing the gut. If the symptoms persist, you can try reducing the dosage and increasing it slowly.

Probiotics are a must for babies, as they greatly enhance the immunity and digestive stability of the child. They can reduce common problems like diaper rashes, eczema, constipation and diarrhoea, and play a pivotal role in the nutrition absorption of the child. Natural probiotics can be added to the diet as soon the baby starts to take outside food after 6 months but over-the-counter ones should be given only after consultation with the doctor.

What Are Probiotics And What Do They Do

Probiotics are live bacteria and yeasts that, when consumed in adequate amounts, provide benefits for immune and digestive health.1 They can be found in natural sources, such as fermented and cultured foods , or supplemental forms such as liquids, powders and capsules. Although many different types of bacteria can be classified as probiotics, the majority fall into one of two broad groups: lactobacillus and bifidobacterium.

Amongst other functions, probiotics help maintain a healthy gut microbiome possibly by increasing the number of healthy microbes in the gut, stimulating immune function, and inhibiting the colonization of potential pathogens .911 In light of their potential ability to repopulate the gut with beneficial bacteria, they are often recommended for people with an unbalanced gut microbiota due to poor nutrition or the use of antibiotics.

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Are Baby Probiotics Safe

You might be thinking: OK, that sounds great. But whats the catch? What are the risks of baby probiotics? And that’s a question youre 100% right to ask. Probiotics are generally well-tolerated, including in infants. A study by the Journal of The American Medical Association Pediatrics, which followed almost 300 infants who took probiotics for the first two years of their life, starting at birth, reported a strong safety profile.

The Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. Lactis probiotic in our daily probiotics for babies has been used safely in food and dietary supplements since 1985, with no reported serious adverse events. Plus, our probiotic was developed from dairy cultures by the over 145-year old renowned bioscience company Chr. Hansen.

However, its important to note that probiotics may not be for every infant. If your baby was born prematurely or has immune problems, be sure to talk to your pediatrician about giving your baby probiotics.

How To Give Baby Powdered Probiotics

• Following the dosage suggestions on the particular product, add powdered probiotics to breast milk or formula.
• Alternatively, you can put the powdered probiotics directly on your breasts before feeding. To do so, apply my DIY nipple cream, then sprinkle the probiotic powder directly on top.
• When baby is eating solids, mix powdered probiotics into babys water cup or food.

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Your Baby Has Acute Gastroenteritis

Acute gastroenteritis is defined as diarrhea or vomiting that lasts more than seven days. You should always talk to your doctor if your baby is experiencing these symptoms, and there is some evidence that probiotics can help, according to Kaufmann. The effect is that probiotics compete with enteric pathogens, there are then less nutrients for these pathogens, and probiotics increase immune response, she says.

One systematic review of randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials found that the use of probiotics compared with placebo was associated with a significantly lower risk of diarrhea lasting more than three daysSzajewska H, Mrukowicz JZ. Probiotics in the treatment and prevention of acute infectious diarrhea in infants and children: a systematic review of published randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2001. 33 2:S17-25. .

Infant Probiotics: Does Your Baby Need Them

If you spend any time talking to moms of infants, the conversation inevitably turns to probiotics.

These tiny bacteria are hailed as digestive superheroes for everything from constipation to colic! In recent years, probiotics have gone from an alternative health concept to a lifestyle-conscious buzzword to mainstream wellness advice.

But what exactly are probiotics? In this article, well explore what makes these good bacteria so glorious for immune function.

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Can Babies With Lactose Intolerance And Milk Allergy Have Probiotics

Babies can have probiotic drops or powder safely following recommendations from the manufacturer. However, lactose intolerance and milk allergy become a problem when the primary source of probiotics for the baby is yogurt. The ability to eat probiotic-rich yogurt varies as per the condition :

Lactose intolerance: Lactose intolerant babies may tolerate yogurt, especially if they can breastfeed. You must start with a minimal quantity of yogurt and look for symptoms like stomachache, bloating, and gas. If you sense the baby is tolerating yogurt well, then you can slowly increase the quantity. Give yogurt mixed with food items like cereal or fruits during meal times.

Milk allergy: A baby with a milk allergy is unable to digest only cows milk, but can have breast milk. Therefore, babies with a milk allergy should avoid all milk products including yogurt.

Next, we address a few commonly asked questions about probiotics for babies.

Easy To Follow Recommendations For The Correct Probiotic Dosing

One of the most common questions I get from patients is, Can I overdose on probiotics? A simple internet search will give you a myriad of different answers to this question.

You see how confusing it can be trying to weed-out thetruth. Luckily, the truth is a lot lesscomplicated than we make it.

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When Can Babies Have Probiotics

The source of the probiotic determines when your baby can have it. Here is the average age to introduce probiotics to the baby, depending on the different food sources:

• Yogurt: 12 months. You can try introducing it around the age of nine months .

• Soy milk: 12 months

• Cottage cheese: 12 months

• Probiotic drops, infant formula, and infant cereal: Probiotic drops and infant formula may be available for babies as young as three months old. However, it is best to consult the doctor before giving probiotics to infants below the age of six months. Infants older than six months can safely have probiotic infant cereal, formula, and drops.

• Fermented soy, milk, and vegetable products: Several traditionally fermented products contain strains of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium. Examples of milk-based fermented products are kefir and some types of cheese. Miso and tempeh are fermented soy delicacies that are a dairy-free source of probiotic. Kimchi and Sauerkraut are preparations made by fermenting vegetables with bacteria.

Most cheeses and other fermented milk preparations can be safely introduced to babies at the age of 12 months.

Fermented soy and vegetable preparations can also be given at 12 months, but since they contain high quantities of sodium, consult a pediatrician before trying them.

Benefits For Pregnant Mothers Taking Probiotics

1. Urinary Tract Infections

Women get urinary tract infections more often in men due to their anatomy. The urethra in women is shorter than the urethra in men. Furthermore, in women the urethra is located within the vulva and is exposed to the microbes of the vagina. A healthy vagina is actually full of Lactobacillus probiotics which help it to have a lower, acidic pH. This pH makes it inhospitable to bad bacteria such as: UTI causing bacteria like E. coli, bacterial vaginosis causing Gardnerella vaginalis, and yeast infection causing Candida. Studies have shown lower incidences of UTIs in women taking probiotics.

2. Immune health

The majority of immune cells are actually located in the gut as that is where the most bacteria are located in. Taking probiotics helps support a healthy immune system by having an anti-inflammatory effect.

3. Normalizing gut health and bowel movement

Probiotics are also play an important role in normalizing bowel movements and are used to reduce the length and duration of diarrhea and can reduce symptoms of those that are chronically constipated.

4. Reducing Nausea

Nausea can be caused by a number of things including irritation of the gut lining. Irritation of the gut lining causes it to release signaling molecules such as histamine which is sensed by the brain. Taking probiotics may provide relief by reducing irritation and inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract and help you feel less nauseated.

5. Mood Support

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