Trying a few drops of probiotics can cure all the digestive troubles of the infant. Research says that the administration of probiotics for babies can do away with all sorts of gastric issues like indigestion, regurgitation, stomach pain, and more by balancing the level of healthy bacteria in the gut. Give a few drops of probiotics to your baby and sleep well because your baby won’t start crying anymore in the middle of the night,
Why Are Probiotics
Probiotics represent a variety of strains of micro-organisms, mainly bacteria, that are excellent for human health. These bacteria help in the maintenance of the balance of the gut flora and thereby contribute to the sound functioning of the digestive system.
You can take probiotics in the form of food and supplements. Some of the best foods that contain probiotics include
- Yogurt and other dairy products
- Sauerkraut
- Kefir, and more.
The primary strains of probiotic bacteria include Lactobacillus, Saccharomyces boulardii, and Bifidobacteria.
How Can Probiotics be Helpful for Babies?
Research reveals that the administration of probiotics(1) to infants can have significant health benefits.
Feeding probiotics to the newborn in the first three months can help top prevent problems of the digestive tract. The baby will not cry all the time with the alleviation of constipation and acid reflux by probiotics.
Babies suffer from colic most of the time during infancy. The administration of probiotics during the initial period of birth can control the occurrence of colic and reduce the pain in no time. Clinical trial reveals that about five drops of probiotics daily can make a massive difference for the baby.
The health benefits of probiotics for babies only last if the administration of probiotics is maintained regularly. Some of the essential health benefits of probiotics for newborns include:
- Try probiotics for babies with gas to prevent and cure flatulence and stomach pain.
- Administer probiotics for babies with diarrhea to recolonize the gut flora and cure the frequent passage of stool.
- You can also try probiotics for babies with reflux to promote digestion and thereby cure dyspepsia.
- Probiotics can also treat infant skin problems like baby eczema, diaper rash, cradle cap, and baby acne.
- Feeding the baby with probiotics also helps to keep weight gain under control and improves immunity as well.
[ Read: Honey for Babies ]
How to Use Probiotics for Babies?
Understand if Your Kid Needs Any Probiotic:
Doctors will not recommend the intake of probiotics for babies, as it is not precisely mandatory for health. A newborn baby’s intestines are sterile, which means that the GI tract has no gut bacteria that are present in adults. There is no need for any gut flora for babies either, as they survive on mother’s milk alone.
At the age of one, the baby starts to acquire healthy bacteria that are derived from breast milk. The addition of yogurt to the baby’s diet, at this stage, can accelerate the development of gut bacteria in the intestinal tract of the baby.
However, probiotics are still not necessary for kids unless he/she suffers from severe diarrhea(2) or vomiting. If the one-year-old baby has erratic digestive conditions, then the doctor recommends probiotics. The administration of probiotics improves the baby’s immune system, cures the digestive problems, and ensures the healthy development of gut flora.
[ Read: Treating Acid Reflux in Babies ]
How to Give Probiotics to Infants?
For babies, probiotics are available in the form of powder and liquid. Mix the liquid probiotic supplements with breast milk or regular baby food and feed the same to the baby. Use a dropper or a syringe to feed the liquid probiotics to the baby.
You can feed the powder form of probiotics directly to the baby. The powder form gets absorbed quickly. The best way is to mix breast milk with probiotic powder or prepare breast milk yogurt at home. Combine one-eighth of a teaspoon of the probiotics powder with an ounce of breast milk and let the mixture settle overnight. Feed it to the baby the next morning.
Feeding the baby with probiotics can be incredibly beneficial for its digestive health. With healthy gut bacteria taking responsibility for smooth digestion, the baby will not cry at the top of its lungs anymore with colic pain or diarrhea. The best probiotics for babies are readily available in local drug stores. It is recommended to seek the permission of a child specialist before administering probiotics to the infant.
[ Read: Why Your Body Needs of Probiotics ]
FAQs
1. What Are the Side Effects of Giving Probiotics to Babies?
Probiotics do not have any significant or lasting side effects in infants. The first few days of taking probiotics may trigger mild digestive issues like bloating, flatulence, diarrhea, and constipation. Such problems occur due to the shift in the balance of gut flora from a lower to a higher amount. The problems do not last, and the health benefits start to manifest soon enough.
2. Is There Any Right Age of Giving Probiotics to Infants?
You can introduce your newborn to probiotics or at an early age as they do not trigger any harmful or lasting side effects.
