Saturday, March 23, 2024

Best Probiotic For Child Constipation

Do Probiotics Help You Poop

Best Probiotics For Kids | IMPROVE DIGESTION & IMMUNITY (Recommended by Doctors)

Yes. Probiotics can help you poop regularly and feel good again, regain your appetite and energy, and say goodbye to stomach discomfort and pain. They can also help with weight loss and foul-smelling stools that can be not only embarrassing for you and others but also symptoms of digestive issues and problems with your gut health.

We have done extensive research on the topic, so you dont have to. Read on to understand better what probiotics are, how they can aid digestion, constipation, gut health, and motility, and check out our findings of some of the probiotics currently on the market.

Probiotic Yoghurt For Kids

If you are looking for a probiotic yoghurt for kids, you may find that some yoghurt drinks contain Lactobacillus casei Shirota. This strain is present in the brand Yakult, one of the earliest commercial probiotics first sold. Fun fact, it was discovered around 1935!

In adults, this strain has been shown to improve constipation.

The opposite was found to be true in children. Shirota helped reduce the symptoms of diarrhoea in a childrens trial in India but only by 14%.

Other benefits of this strain include reduced frequency of colds in athletes and in smokers.

Similarly, yoghurt ranges like Activia also contain added probiotic strains, including Bifidobacterium lactis.

B. lactis BB-12 has been shown in adult clinical trials to be effective in relieving symptoms of constipation. Again, the opposite was true for infants. A clinical trial of 90 infants showed that this strain was effective in preventing diarrhoea.

Probiotics Are Not All Equal

There are many possible triggers for constipation, and as a result there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution, fortunately though, there is good evidence to show that probiotics can be effective. It is important to be aware that each probiotic strain is different from the next. To meet your needs, it is always recommended that you select a strain that has been clinically trialled with a proven health benefit.

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Probiotics Foods For Kids

Before we dive into the health benefits of probiotics, lets take a look at where you can find probiotics. Probiotics are packaged as supplements but can also be found in the following fermented foods.

  • tempeh
  • kimchi

Yoghurt is an easy choice of probiotic food for kids. For children following a dairy-free diet, check whether probiotics have been added to the dairy-free alternative. Tempeh is a delicious soy food and a good protein alternative for kids who refuse meat.

Kefir water is another good alternative for children who need to follow a dairy-free diet. Sauerkraut and kimchi may need to be reserved for the more adventurous eaters.

The common types of live cultures in yoghurt, fermented milk and certain cheese include lactobacillus casei. Our bodies naturally contain lactobacillus casei, in our digestive system. Ill take you through the benefits of this good bacteria later.

Other probiotic strains that can be found in fermented foods include E. faecalis, L. mesenteroides, L. brevis, P. cerevisiae and L. plantarum.

Optibac Probiotics 1699 For 30 Sachets Best For Mums And Kids

Probiotics for Children

Suitable for: 0-12-year-olds, plus pregnant and breastfeeding mums

Type: Powder

These probiotics are suitable for kids from birth right up to the age of 12, as well as pregnant and breastfeeding mums, meaning you wont have to pick up multiple products to suit the needs of your family.

The powder, which can easily be sprinkled on top of porridge or mixed into a drink, contains three billion natural live cultures per sachet, in three well-researched strains .

According to the brand, they have all been tested to survive both stomach acidity and bile salts meaning theyll actually reach where they need to and make a difference.

It also contains fructooligosaccharide a dairy fibre with various benefits. And, as an extra bonus, theres no added sugar, colourings or flavourings and its suitable for vegetarians and gluten-free kids.

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Can Probiotics Help With Constipation

Certain gut micro-organisms influence the contraction of intestinal muscles to mix and move food along the digestive tract.

Interestingly, several clinical studies show people with constipation have fewer strains of the beneficial bacteria Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus.

A good reason you’re not pooping like you use to is because your gut is lacking probiotics strains that help stimulate the bowel movements.

These two species are the most common friendly bacteria found in the human gut microbiome.

Therefore, probiotic strains belonging to both species are widely acknowledged as the most effective at dealing with constipation.

Research suggests that up to 70% of adults with constipation can find some relief from probiotics.

Bahee Van De Bor Paediatric Dietitian

I help baby and toddlers food brands create dietitian approved products kids love

As a registered paediatric dietitian, one of the most popular questions that I get asked is, which probiotic brand is best for my child? If you have been wondering which strains to recommend to your patients, then keep reading or refer to the original blog post here.

If you want parents to avoid flushing their hard-earned cash down the loo, educate them to pick the right probiotic strains. The good probiotics for children will offer surprising health benefits, but heres a secret.

The benefits of taking probiotics are down to choosing the right strains. Some strains are better for managing childhood eczema or digestive health, whilst other strains help with diarrhoea in children. The best probiotics for kids can, therefore, depend on the strains and their specific health benefits.

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Best 7 Probiotic Supplements For Constipation: That Surely Work

Probiotics
Check the Price

Among the list, we have choosen naturenetics as our first preference as it is the most often prescribed probiotic supplement by medical professionals. Unlike other brands, it is third party tested for potency, contains innovative packaging to maintain the potency and other beneficial factors. It may a bit costly but totally worthy for whatever you pay.

Best Gummy: Smartypants Kids Probiotic Immunity Formula

What is the Best Probiotic for Constipation?

If your child isn’t a fan of chewable tablets, liquid, or powder, gummies are a delicious, fun, and easy way for kids to get their probiotics in. SmartyPants’ Kids Prebiotic and Probiotic Immunity Formula combines 4 billion CFU of probiotics from Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus coagulans to support your child’s digestive and immune health. They also contain prebiotics in the form of beta-glucan , which supports probiotics and acts as food for the healthy bacteria.

The gummies come in two delicious flavors, strawberry crème and grape. Plus, SmartyPants are free of the top eight food allergens, including milk, eggs, shellfish, soy, peanuts, wheat, fish, and tree nuts. The Non-GMO Project Verified gummies contain only high-quality ingredients, and they are relatively low in sugar. Each serving of two gummies contains 3 grams of added sugars. They’re recommended for children ages 3 and up.

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The Best Probiotic Strains For Regularity

There are several strains of friendly bacteria that have been shown to be beneficial in helping to supporting regularity in various clinical studies. The best probiotic supplements should contain strains which have been specifically researched for constipation including:

  • Bifidobacterium lactis BB-12®
  • Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG®

How Baby Probiotics Work

Baby probiotics can help improve your childs gastrointestinal, or GI, tract through the introduction of live good bacteria strains, including Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus. Its crucial for your child to have a strong gastrointestinal tract for improved immune resistance and less susceptibility to distress from diet-related inflammation or irritation.

Baby probiotics can also improve the health of your childs bowel movements, since an increase in good bacteria reduces the risk of diarrhea, gas and constipation.

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What You Should Know Before Buying Supplements For Kids

There are a few things to consider before grabbing a probiotic off the shelf.

Quality

As mentioned before, the FDA regulates some probiotics, but not all. Make sure that the probiotic is quality checked by a reputable third party company or the FDA. Next, check out the ingredients list. It should list what type of microorganisms are in the probiotic

Another thing to check for on the ingredients list is if it contains any fillers, sugars or is allergy-friendly. Many probiotics are gluten-, wheat-, milk-, peanut-, soy-, egg- free, while others are not. Choose a probiotic that, if sweetened at all, uses a naturally tooth-friendly sweetener such as xylitol.

Also, check the expiration. Anything that is expired means the organisms may no longer be alive. Many companies will guarantee the viability of the organisms until the expiration date printed on the packaging.

Method

Probiotic supplements can be found in as a powder, liquid, pill and chewable. Parents with children who are very young may benefit from administering a probiotic via powder or liquid if the child cannot yet swallow a pill.

Strains

Within the two groups of probiotics, there are different strains. Youll see the name appear after an L. or a B.

Some common strains and what they treat include:

  • Acidophilus diarrhea, digestive issues, acne
  • Rhamnosus eczema, skin allergies
  • Plantarum inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract
  • Casei gastrointestinal support

CFUs

Which Probiotics Are Best For Wind And Bloating

Best Probiotic For Kids Constipation

Probiotics may not be helpful for wind and bloating, as this can be a side effect of taking probiotics for some children.

However, for children with Irritable Bowel Syndrome , there is some evidence that probiotics could help with general IBS symptoms such as stomach pain but more research needs to be done.

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Best Probiotics For Constipation

When choosing a probiotic for constipation its important that it contains clinically researched strains that help alleviate the condition.

When I say help, I mean they should at least…

  • Increase the frequency of bowel movements
  • Shorten the transit times

Without doubt the two most effective probiotic species are Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus.

However, its the strain that makes the difference and not all strains are created equal.

Certain strains are better at dealing with the symptoms of chronic constipation than others..

And the best probiotic supplements for constipation should contain at least one of these strains.

Below is a list of clinically researched bacterial strains that are shown to have a beneficial effect on constipation.

Do Probiotics Help Constipation

If youre like most people, you will experience multiple constipation episodes through the years. Some causes of constipation include irritable bowel syndrome , stress, taking antacids, not drinking sufficient water, or a diet low in fiber.

Natural remedies like probiotics can provide you with welcome relief. How so? Probiotics are often called good bacteria since they treat health issues and help in keeping your intestine healthy. They can be found in some foods, and well look into that below.

Probiotics can help treat constipation, causing a reduction in the uncomfortable feeling that elimination is not complete and in abdominal distension.

The results of studies on probiotics are mixed, as is the case with any type of food or supplement marketed for health purposes. In some cases, parents have had success with probiotics increasing the frequency of bowel movements in children.

Researchers also suggest that any failures of probiotics in studies might be due to inadequate time over which the probiotics are administered. As we noted, many probiotic species and strains are affecting the body in different ways.

Some species and strains are turning out to be more effective in the treatment of constipation than others. Well look into specific strains and studies conducted on them below.

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Frequency Of Fecal Incontinence

Fecal incontinence was reported in five RCTs . Based on the pooled results of two RCTs , there was no significant effect of L. casei rhamnosus Lcr35 compared with placebo on the frequency of fecal incontinence at the end of intervention no significant heterogeneity was found . No other trials reported significant differences between the probiotics and the placebo groups in the frequency of fecal incontinence. Of note, in the study by Sadeghzadeh et al., fecal incontinence was assessed only in patients who had these symptoms before the intervention. In this subgroup, no significant difference between the control and probiotic groups in the frequency of fecal incontinence was found at the end of the intervention .

Criteria For Considering Studies For This Review

Probiotics and constipation

We included randomized controlled trials examining the effects of probiotics compared with placebo, no treatment, or any pharmacological therapy in patients aged 018 years with functional constipation diagnosed according to either the authors definition or specific diagnostic criteria such as the Rome II, III, or IV criteria . Trials including patients with an organic cause for constipation or with a history of colorectal surgery were excluded. All probiotic strains, doses, treatment regimens, and durations of therapy were considered. Probiotics were administered in capsule, powder, tablet, or fortified food forms. The primary outcome measure was treatment success, as defined by the investigators. The secondary outcome measures were defecation frequency, frequency of fecal incontinence, frequency of abdominal pain , and adverse events. Other outcome measures reported by the investigators were also considered, if relevant to the current review.

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What Are The Benefits Of Probiotics For Children

Overall, probiotics may have health benefits for children including supporting a healthy digestive system.

Another potential benefit is to support the rebalance of gut bacteria following a course of antibiotics. When required to fight a bacterial infection, antibiotics are very important, but they can affect the balance of our natural gut health and can cause a reduction in the diversity of our gut microbiome.

In some cases, children also experience diarrhoea and research suggests that probiotics can help protect some people from getting diarrhoea.

What The Experts Say

“Probiotics are essential to the development of healthy gut microbiota – and that starts at birth. Supplemental probiotics are not necessary for breastfed babies as breastmilk contains both pre and probiotics. However, if you are looking to increase your baby’s probiotic intake and provide the 400 IU supplemental vitamin D recommended for breastfed babies, try Culturelle Baby Grow + Thrive Probiotics and Vitamin D drops.

If your baby is not breastfed, check your formula to see if it contains probiotics – if not, it may be beneficial to add one like Enfamil Infant Probiotics Dual Probiotics. As with any supplement, consult your pediatrician before adding a probiotic to your baby’s diet.” Anne Cook Carroll, MS, RDN

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Probiotics For The Prevention Of Atopic Dermatitis

Eczema is a common type of atopic dermatitis. It affects 15% to 20% of children and 1% to 3% of adults worldwide.

A systematic review and meta-analysis recommend starting probiotics early during pregnancy and for the first 6 months of babys life. This could be advantageous particularly if a pregnant woman has a history of allergies and eczema herself.

To prevent atopic dermatitis, supplementing with L. rhamnosus and L. paracasei during pregnancy and beyond were shown to be the most effective. However, no benefits were documented when supplementation continued beyond the babys 1st birthday.

Rhamnosus should not be confused with the probiotic rhamnosus GG. A meta-analysis of 5 randomized clinical trials found that the latter did not reduce the risk of eczema in children. This was the case even if taken early during pregnancy.

Heres an exciting piece of research. A New Zealand study was the first randomised controlled trial to show that Lactobacillus rhamnosus HN001 can be beneficial for childhood eczema. The key is to start supplementation with rhamnosus HN001 early from 35 weeks of pregnancy until two years of age.

The health benefits of rhamnosus HN001 include reduced risk of childhood eczema by 44% until the childs 6th birthday and beyond. The protection continued even after supplementation was stopped by the childs 2nd birthday. This confirms that not all probiotics are the same.

Rhamnosus HN001 is also thought to reduce symptoms of postpartum depression in women.

Exclusively Breast Fed Babies: Causes Of Constipation

The best probiotic for kids

If your baby is constipated and breast feeding, it could be due to something in moms diet. If your baby is breast fed you may consider changing your diet, as your child may be allergic to something you are consuming .

While breast fed babies usually dont have constipation because breast milk is easily digestible, and even considered a natural laxative, it can still happen. But it usually happens around 4 months of age when babies go through a major growth spurt and sleep regression, or after the age of 6 months when other foods such as rice cereals, cows milk, or low fiber foods are introduced.

If your breast fed baby has pellet like stools, arches their back, and strains while going they may be constipated.

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Probiotics And Milk Allergy

Cows milk protein allergy is one of the most common types of food allergy in children. New research confirms that one of the health benefits of probiotics is in its ability to help children outgrow their milk allergy earlier. This can be as early as 24 and 36 months when probiotics are used in conjunction with their elimination diet and hypoallergenic formula.

Probiotics could potentially prevent allergy through interaction with the intestinal immune cells, especially in early life. The most common strain trialled in babies with cows milk protein allergy is rhamnosus GG.

One study reviewed the differences in stools of babies when offered formula with added Bifidobacterium breve M-16V and prebiotics. Cows milk tolerance acquisition was not assessed in this study.

As with other strains, further long-term studies are required to confirm the benefits of probiotics in children with cows milk protein allergy.

If probiotics do appeal, the best probiotics to recommend are rhamnosus GG and Bifidobacterium breve M-16V. At present, the latter is added into a specialist amino acid infant formula. If you recommend that parents source the strain separately, do recommend a brand that is suitable on a milk-free diet.

Now Foods Berrydophilus Chewables

This very affordable probiotic has 10 probiotic strains and 2 billion CFUs. Kids can chew 1 to 3 chewable tablets daily depending on if they need extra probiotics to help with a particular issue.

The strains included in this supplement are L. acidophilus, B. lactis, L. plantarum, L. casei, L. rhamnosus, L. paracasei, B. breve, streptococcus thermophile, L. salavarius and B. longhum. To keep all those microorganisms alive, store this probiotic in the fridge.

The Berrydophilus flavor is very tasty and is sweetened by xylitol to help protect kids teeth. Whats even better is this supplement is effective and affordable, available in a 120 count supply. So if your child is experiencing some serious digestive woes or needs a daily probiotic to help boost immunity or prevent any digestive issues, definitely consider this probiotic.

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With 6 probiotic strains and 3 billion CFUs, this probiotic is perfect for kids who need a little help with their digestive and immune system. This chewable tablet is berry-licious and naturally sweetened with xylitol and contains no artificial flavors or coloring. However, some kids may not like the chalky texture of it.

This supplement contains a good blend of probiotics including L. acidophilus, B. lactis, B. breve, L. salivarius, and L. plantarum. To keep those bacteria kicking, store in a cool, dry place or preferably in the fridge.

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