Congratulations! You’ve had your first baby!
Now what?
Now, you begin the journey of maintaining your child’s overall health. Giving them a jumpstart on the road to good health requires a solid foundation from day 1. Whether you choose to breastfeed or formula feed, giving baby they nutrition they need is an important step that will come in handy later on down the road.
Probiotic for Babies
There are plenty of formulas for babies that have probiotics in them to give them the same nutrition that babies who are breastfed get. For those babies that get mother’s milk, they have supplement formulas in case mother’s milk isn’t enough.
So breastfeeding and formula feeding, while different, can both have the same effect if they are used correctly, and with help from supplements if needed.
It is best to talk with your pediatrician to find out if probiotics supplements are best for your baby. A pediatrician will also be able to give you the advice you need on how often to supplement with formula, or how long to give a probiotics-based formula.
This is important because every baby is different and they all have different needs in terms of the amount of probiotics that they need in a day.
A baby can be introduced to probiotics as early as a few days old, though at this stage in their lives they only need small amounts of probiotics. The reason for this is that they will receive the majority of those needs from breast milk or formula.
However, introducing them to a probiotic other than their normal milk will aid in the use of probiotics as they get older.
A good way to introduce a child to another form of probiotic is to give them a small amount of fermented vegetable juice on the end of your finger. Not only will this introduce them to the sour taste that most probiotics have, this will help aid in the continuation of probiotic use as the child grows older.
Once your child is old enough to eat pureed food, around a few months old, you may try giving them pureed fermented vegetables.
This will serve two purposes for your child: the first being that they will gain practice with eating something other than formula or breast milk and the second being that they will become more accustomed to different flavors of food. At this stage of life, keeping the extra probiotics to a minimum is best as they will still be receiving the majority of that need from their milk.
Probiotic for Toddlers and Older Children
As your baby gets older and becomes a toddler, the ways in which they receive probiotics will change completely. Most toddlers can chew gummy candy without any issues, so for these toddlers using a gummy probiotic will help give them the nutrition they need.
If your child is not used to gummies or cannot chew them, there are other ways for them to get what they need. Yogurt is a great source of probiotics, and you can choose either the container of yogurt or a yogurt drink.
It is best to limit the amount that a child is given in a day, and speaking with the child’s doctor will help you to determine how much a child can handle in one day based on various things like their age, height, weight, and eating habits.
There is no clear research to determine a chart based on a child’s age, because while you may have a 30 pound 2-year-old, someone else may have a 20 pound 2-year-old, and the eating habits of these children are going to be different.
You should always consult your child’s doctor before giving any food that contains probiotics. While there has been extensive research done on probiotics for children, it is always best to consult the medical professional who is in charge of your child’s health.
Doctors are more qualified to determine if a child is in need of a probiotic in their diet or if they are better off without it.
Children with digestive issues or issues with regularity should always be evaluated by their pediatrician before beginning a probiotic, whether it is in food form or in a medicine. If a child is already on a probiotic medicine from their doctor, introducing foods with probiotics in them may cause more harm than good.
Probiotics must be taken in the right amount for them to do their job, and adding more than necessary can cause an adverse reaction.
Benefits & Side Effects
Using probiotics in the right way and in the right amount, they can be very beneficial to a child. They have shown to help with eczema, helping to clear up spots without creams or oral medications.
They are also helpful when it comes to children’s respiratory infections, helping to fight off the harmful bacteria with their good bacteria. This can aid in recovery from some illnesses. Though probiotics can be helpful to children, like most anything, it can have some side effects that need to be discussed with a doctor prior to use.
Some side effects of taking probiotics are infection, bloating, and intestinal gas. Infections are mainly seen in children that have short bowels or have had past issues with their intestines that may not be related to probiotics in their system.
If your child has had any issues with digestion or their intestines, it is very important to consult their doctor before adding a probiotic to their daily routine. Bloating is due to a buildup of internal gas. It is a common side effect when using probiotics and is usually on the mild side, though there have been cases that show it could become severe depending on how much probiotic is being consumed on a daily basis.
The last side effect, intestinal gas, is something that is seen most often in children who take probiotics.
This is due to probiotics breaking down the lactic acid in a child’s system. While this side effect is very low on the pain scale, it is something to watch and alert your doctor of if it becomes worse or begins to cause the child pain or discomfort.
Probiotics can do a lot of good for a child, but there are things that need to be taken into account before you begin giving your child a probiotic supplement or foods containing probiotics.
Always remember to consult their doctor and get their perspective before beginning. This will help ensure that your child is getting exactly what they need for the best possible balance of intestinal health.
