Benefits Of Probiotics For Infants
Probiotics have been found to be helpful in treating conditions like diarrhea and eczema in infants. They may also help in managing allergies, preventing urinary tract infections, and relieving symptoms of colic in infants.
Other conditions that probiotics may help manage include:
- Acute infectious diarrhea
- Chronic inflammatory bowel disease
Atopic diseases. Infants who are at risk of getting atopic conditions may benefit from probiotic supplements. This is especially helpful for formula-fed infants. Some studies also suggest that probiotics might also be beneficial when taken during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Necrotizing enterocolitis. Preterm infants are at a high risk of contracting necrotizing enterocolitis. This is because of antibiotic administration after birth and the limited development of normal digestive microorganisms. Probiotic supplements may help preterm or low-birth-weight infants develop these vital microorganisms.
Diarrhea. Probiotics help prevent diarrhea in some instances. These supplements have been found to delay the symptoms of acute infectious diarrhea in children and otherwise healthy infants.
Chronic inflammatory bowel disease. Probiotics may be helpful in the management of chronic inflammatory bowel disease together with or as a replacement for medications prescribed for this condition. However, there is no conclusive research demonstrating whether it actually works as a treatment of this condition in infants.
Final Message: Reflux In Babies Is A Mixed Bag
What worked for one mama and her babe may not work for you and yours. And chances are that more than one approach will yield better results.
In my personal experience and when working with other mamas, I have found that these three things matter most:
Sometimes, adding traditional Chinese herbs to the mix can also help. Especially if baby isnt putting on weight or when reflux persists for longer than 12 weeks.
This is something to talk about with your local pediatric acupuncturist!
Can Baby Probiotics Cause Gas
According to researchers, probiotics may actually help reduce gas in babies. Studies suggest babies the bacterial makeup is different in the stomachs of babies with colic, and researchers hypothesize that these differences may cause gas, bloating, and discomfort that leads to colic.
In a review of 12 studies to examine the effects of probiotics, researchers found that infants taking probiotics cried for about an hour less each daypossibly as a result of less gas pain.
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Types Of Probiotic Strains That Help Acid Reflux
To summarize, the probiotic strains that help with GERD are:
- Lactobacillus gasseri-may help to eliminate dyspepsia and reflux symptoms as well as reduce abdominal fat and waist circumference.
- Bifidobacterium bifidum-may decrease abdominal pain, diarrhea, and constipation.
- Lactobacillus reuteri-may reduced colic, reduce vomiting, increase bowel movement frequency. Also decreased abdominal pain, distention, nausea, and vomiting.
- Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG-decreased abdominal pain, distention, nausea, and vomiting.
- Bifidobacterium lactis HN019-Increased stomach emptying and speeds up transit time, 8 of 9 belly symptoms improved.
- Saccharomyces boulardii-along with L. reuteri may help reduce colic, vomiting, and alleviate constipation.
- Bacillus subtilis-may decrease SIBO and many GI symptoms
- E. faecium-could be helpful for many aspects of GI health. Not currently available commercially.
The strains of bacteria are important as you can see. While common probiotic strains like lactobacillus acidophilus may be good for overall digestive function, targeted probiotic strains may be more effective for GERD and heartburn.
Top 10 Best Infant Probiotic Drops Reviews For This Year
We spent dozens of hours making all sorts of things under infant probiotic drops, pushing the limits of what you can use. Finally, we examined the convenience and ease of use for each product, looking for the one that provided the most user-friendly and intuitive experience while trying out any features that a few of these product have. To rank and compare each products capabilities, We also convened a panel of judges to try out each product to decide the easiest and most intuitive to use.
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Digestive Advantage Probiotic Gummy For Kids
Similar to Olly probiotics, it has the same probiotic species but a different strain: Bacillus coagulans GBI-30, 6086 at a concentration of 250 million microorganisms or bacteria in each gummy. Although it is a different strain of the same species, studies have also been carried out on it in which the evidence concludes that the probiotic effect Bacillus coagulans GBI-30, 6086 is safe and effective in reducing intestinal movements in cases of irritable bowel syndrome
Suitable for: 3-7-year-olds
Type: Chewable jellies
Another novelty form of supplement, these Peppa Pig-shaped chewable kids probiotics and their orange flavour will be loved by your little ones. They contain five billion cultures from six different strains of bacteria and also feature added calcium. This helps support the digestive enzymes in your kids tummies and aids the normal growth and development of bones in children.
Theyre suitable for vegans and vegetarians, but do contain added sugar so be aware if youre looking to reduce your familys intake.
Available from:Vitabiotics, Boots and
Latest deals from trusted retailers
Food Triggers And Eating Habits
Some of the obvious food triggers for acid reflux are hot peppers, spicy foods, caffeine, and tomato sauces. However, it is often other foods or beverages that are causing reflux like dairy, gluten, fried foods, sugar, and alcohol.
These foods and beverages can cause the lower esophageal sphincter, or valve, to relax and open up, which causes acid and food contents to back up into the esophagus. They can also throw the microbiome out of balance.
Food sensitivities can cause inflammation and result in indigestion. When foods arent properly digested, they are more likely flow back into the esophagus.
Many people also eat too fast, too, causing the stomach to be overloaded, resulting in reflux. Thoroughly chewing your foods will help reduce your heartburn and indigestion by simply helping to break down your food before it hits your stomach.
Chewing foods well and avoiding trigger foods eases all aspects of digestive health, by the way.
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What Helped You With Baby Reflux I Would Love To Hear About It
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This is not medical advice and any statements made about the use of herbs, supplements, or food have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not meant to diagnose, treat, or cure any disease.
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Why Are Probiotics Important
Lets back up for a second to talk about why youd want to take probiotics.
Our bodies are full of bacteria. And although that may sound like a bad thing, less than one percent of bacteria makes us sick. Other bacteria in our systems are considered good bacteria, since they are vital for our bodies to function and play a key role in keeping us healthy.
Probiotics ensure that our systems have enough good bacteria to function the way they are intended to.
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How To Choose Infant Probiotics: The Buying Guide
How do you choose the infant probiotics? You must consider many things, such as the brand name, price, and product quality. In addition, you should also consider whether it is suitable for your needs or not.
So how do you choose the right infant probiotics? Here are some tips that you can use to help you find a good product:
What you Should Keep in Mind When Buying infant probiotics
When shopping for a infant probiotics, there are several things to consider. You need to think about the quality of the product, the price, and even how much it will benefit your life. However, you also need to keep these factors in mind:
Garden Of Life Baby Probiotics
Why its great: Garden of Life is known for creating clean, effective formulas that parents can trust. All of their products, including these baby probiotics, are non-gmo verified, free of the top allergens, vegan, and gluten-free. This product is intended for babies 6 months and up.
In infant probiotics, it can often be challenging to find the exact CFU count however, its clearly labeled on this product that it contains 4 billion CFU. With access to this kind of information, its easier to tell if this is the right product for your baby.
Keep in mind: Although the bottle is quite a bit larger than competitors, the serving size is also larger than most. It can be difficult to disguise 2 milliliters in a bottle of milk. If your baby is on solids, it mixes well with oatmeal.
Good for: Babies who are eating solids.
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Do Probiotics Make Colic Worse
Probiotics do not have any expected side effects, however, it is important to choose the right probiotics for use in babies, to help relieve the symptoms of colic and reflux.
Some research suggests Lactobacillus reuteri DSM 179388 showed mixed results when looking at an improvement of symptoms relating to colic. Although this strain did not help relieve the duration of crying and fussiness which are common symptoms associated with a colicky baby, it is beneficial for managing diarrhoeal disease in children9. Highlighting again the importance of looking for specific strains which have demonstrated a positive outcome for babies suffering from colic and reflux symptoms.
The microbiome of adults and babies are significantly different. When babies are born one of the first natural bacterial colonisers is Bifidobacterium, however, evidence and research suggest that babies suffering from colic and reflux often have lower levels of this bacteria in their gut.
The infant gut, like adults, is influenced greatly by their diet, environment, and medication such as antibiotics. It is these factors that can influence a baby’s susceptibility in developing gut issues.
Do Probiotics Have Side Effects In Babies
Probiotics are considered safe for infants and are unlikely to have any dangerous side effects . There is little research on the potential side effects of long-term consumption of probiotics. However, probiotics are known to trigger a mild allergy with the following symptoms:
- Mild stomach ache
Side effects of probiotics are mostly seen with higher than recommended doses, yet are mild and do not impact the babys health. Also, the symptoms mostly appear the first few times a baby has probiotics and disappear after a few days, with regular probiotic consumption.
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Evivo Baby Probiotic Starter Kit With Live B Infantis
Why its great: This probiotic kit comes with a 30 day supply, as well as a mixing bowl and syringe. Its the perfect choice for your baby as it doesnt contain any additives or artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. Its also gluten-free. This probiotic is the only probiotic for babies on the market that contains the B. infantis EVC001 strain. This strain is stored and processed in such a way that it can consume the bacteria from breast milk better than any other strain. On top of that, its clinically proven to remove 80% of bad bacteria, while still increasing the good bacteria by 79%. This probiotic helps to reduce colic, diaper rash, and allergies.
Keep in mind: This one does need to be stored in the freezer or you can have it in the refrigerator for up to one month.
Good for: Parents that want the most effective probiotic thats been clinically proven to work.
The 4th Option Is Probiotics
If youve read my article on colic, youll know the wonders of probiotics to treat excessive crying in infants. One such study looked at the effectiveness of Lactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938 for 90 days in 589 term new-borns aged 1-11 weeks.
Vomiting and spilling was measured as a primary outcome of this study and at the end of this 90 day trial there was a statistically significant difference between the placebo group and the probiotic group. The probiotic helped with reflux symptoms! There was also a huge improvement in crying time per day which we all know is a big stressor with babies with colic or reflux.
Furthermore, since 2018 its been best practice to prescribe probiotics in conjunction with PPIs as we know the long term administration of drugs like losec can change the gut bacteria population as these drugs change the pH of the gut.
A study by Dr Belei looked at infants been given PPIs with and without the wonder probiotic Lactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938. After 12 weeks of treatment, an imbalance of gut bacteria was detected among 56.2% of children from placebo group compared to 6.2% of children from the probiotics group. Thats a remarkable difference!
You might think. Really, what does it matter if the gut bacteria are a bit out of whack?
Weve known this since 2018 but how many babies do you know being given losec or omeprazole without a probiotic?
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How Do Probiotics Work
Here is how probiotics usually work in infants :
Change Your Diet To Reduce Colic And Infant Reflux
To help my little guy feel more comfy, I whittled down my veggie-filled primal diet to vegan, gluten-free toast. Bacon. And coconut milk. Lots of coconut milk.
While Im sure I ate more than these foods, the point remains its extremely helpful to ditch the foods that may either stir up some gas or that contain common allergens. Likewise, you may need to bid farewell to caffeinated foods because they can relax the ring of muscles at the opening of the stomach that protects against reflux.
If you can muster up the wherewithal in your sleep-deprived haze, try an elimination diet.
Food groups to eliminate are:
If you feel that everything you put in your mouth has lost its soul, Im crying with you.
Remind yourself that it doesnt last forever. Find joy in the foods you can eat. And take your prenatal.
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Hold Baby Upright For At Least 30 Minutes After A Feeding
I kept Quincy upright for 30-60 minutes after a feeding. This makes nursing to sleep and night feeds challenging. If he fell asleep while nursing, I would just hold him upright on my shoulder, burping him off and on until I got a few good ones. And then when I laid him down, he was still elevated. Also, babywearing can be a huge help to make that time go buy quickly.
Lovebug Tiny Tummies Probiotic
Lovebug Tiny Tummies Probiotic is specifically formulated for infants and promotes a specific serving size for babies with colic. This infant probiotic includes a combination of three strains: lactobacillus rhamnosus, bifidobacterium lactis, lactobacillus infantis.
They also add prebiotic fiber. Prebiotic fibers are nondigestible, insoluble fibers that serve as food sources for probiotic bacteria. Adding prebiotic fiber may help improve gastric-emptying. Lovebug notes they manufacture their probiotics in facilities that are GMP certified through NSF, a third-party organization that independently tests the products for certain quality and safety standards.
- Dosage/day: 1 stick pack, may increase to 2 packs for colicky babies
- Dietary Considerations: Dairy-free, gluten-free, non-GMO, Allergen free
- Clinical studies using the final formulation: No
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How Often To Give Probiotics
If your baby or toddler has any symptoms from the list above, then I would give them the dosage on the package daily.
For preventive use, I would recommend giving them to your baby or toddler several times a week, but its okay if you skip a couple of days a week.
Antibiotics if your baby or toddler needs a round of antibiotics for any reason, it is essential to re-populate the good bacteria in their system as soon as the round of antibiotics is over. Antibiotics kill off all of the good and bad bacteria in the body. Its super important to then load up on the good bacteria before the bad bacteria has a chance to reproduce. Probiotics can be given during the course of antibiotics, but make sure they are taken at different times of the day, and continue to take them for a few weeks after stopping antibiotics, or as directed by your pediatrician.
