It uses good bacteria in the body to replenish the good bacteria. Probiotics are frequently prescribed for illnesses like irritable bowel syndrome, eczema, and the common cold. Probiotics are typically used by adults without negative side effects, but are they the same for children? This is what you need to know.
What is a probiotic?
In addition to helping digestion, bacteria aid in the absorption of nutritional elements and help you fight other germs. Bacteria aid digestion, absorption of nutrients, and protection against other germs that make you sick.
Throughout your body, you have bacteria, viruses, and fungi collectively called a microbiome. This community lives:
- the surface of your skin
- in your gut
- in your saliva
- urogenital tract
When your microbiome becomes imbalanced, you’re at a greater risk of infection and illness. Antibiotics kill infection-causing bacteria, but also destroy good bacteria that protect us against infectious agents. A secondary infection can be a yeast infection, an infection of the urinary tract, or an infection of the intestines.
You can find live, healthy bacteria in probiotics. Some probiotics may have one type of bacteria, while others may combine several populations.
What probiotics should you include in your children’s diet?
Researchers believe that an unhealthy microbiome leads to many illnesses, and probiotics may prevent these diseases. However, it is unclear how probiotics work on the microbiome.
A 2012 National Health Interview Survey conducted by Trusted Source found that probiotics are the third most common natural remedy for kids.
The use of probiotics for children also needs to be proven in more studies. Some research has been encouraging:
- During a review of the American Family Physician journal, probiotics were demonstrated to be effective in treating inflammatory bowel disease. The duration of diarrhea caused by gastroenteritis may be reduced when probiotics are given to expectant mothers or nursing mothers through a probiotic supplement during pregnancy or while nursing.
- In a study performed in JAMA Pediatrics, researchers found that infants who are given probiotics with food in their first three months of life may be less likely to suffer from colic, constipation, or acid reflux.
- In 2015, researchers concluded that probiotics reduced the incidence of upper respiratory tract infections and the duration of them is studied participants; the use of antibiotics and school absences due to colds was also lowered.
Probiotics are a beneficial treatment for children. There are a lot of anecdotal reports to support this. However, different strains may affect different doctors, so there’s no definitive answer about whether you should give your child probiotics, especially over long periods of time.
A healthy child can take probiotics as long as they are around healthy children. Even healthy kids have the risk of infection and unpleasant gastrointestinal symptoms. Probiotics can cause serious complications in very ill infants. Do not take probiotic supplements without consulting your doctor.
Which is better, probiotic supplements or probiotic foods?
The probiotics found in yogurt and cultured cottage cheese are among the foods with probiotics. These foods have probiotics naturally found in fermented foods such as buttermilk, kefir, and sauerkraut. They can also be found in raw cheese made from unpasteurized milk.
A growing number of experts recommend raw milk and products made from raw milk, but it is not recommended for children. Raw milk is a potential source of bacteria that will cause a deadly illness. In this regard we recommend you to read our article: Milk allergy in infants.
Answering that question isn’t as clear-cut as it may sound. It’s always best if your child gets their nutrients from whole foods. The manufacture and storage processes may kill probiotics in foods and supplements. So you never know how much survives.
Most probiotic supplements do not contain the ingredients they advertise. While that is the case with many supplements, there may be other factors at work that can cause a breakdown in your probiotic supplements.
Here are some brands to try that contain probiotics
You should only buy supplements from trusted brands. Check expiration dates before you use the products. Review storage requirements to ensure the products do not need refrigeration.
Consider these options if you are advised to give your child probiotics by the doctor:
- Culturelle: Lactobacillus has a strong defense against parasites that can harm humans and animals. The Lactobacillus pack contained individual packets of Lactobacillus GG, which can be enjoyed directly in small quantities.
- Nature’s Way: It contains Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Bifidobacterium long, and Lactobacillus acidophilus, and is offered as chewable cherry-flavored pills.
- Ultimate Flora: They taste berrylicious, so they’re great as a kid-friendly probiotic. Each one has six different strains of good bacteria. (You can purchase all of these probiotics for your children on amazon.com)
Final Words From Kids rush
In healthy children and babies, probiotics may relieve constipation, diarrhea, and acid reflux. Probiotics may even eliminate symptoms of allergies and eczema, which can occur when antibiotics are used;
To find out if probiotics may help your children, you may want to ask your doctor the following questions:
- Why do you think your child needs probiotics?
- For how long will they have benefits if they are given to children?
- Should your child stop taking these drugs if they don’t see obvious benefits in a certain amount of time?
- What is the proper dosage for your child?
- Which brand do they recommend?
- What is the reason for not giving probiotics to my children?
The long-term effects of probiotic supplements on children are not known, so children should not use them as a preventive medicine unless their doctor recommends them.
To help keep your child’s microbiome healthy add probiotic foods, such as yogurt, to their diet. To be sure you’re choosing yogurt with “live and active cultures”, you should check the label.
Using yogurt instead of mayo in sandwiches or on baked potatoes can make a child’s favorite food even more appealing.
Smoothies made of yogurt are quite popular among kids. To prepare them, mix one cup of fresh or frozen fruit with 1/2 cup plain or vanilla yogurt until smoothly blended. Also, it’s up to you whether you want to add anything sugary.
It is important to note that you should not give honey to toddlers younger than 1 years old due to botulism risks.