Can baby probiotics help with colic?

Your baby needs bacteria. I know, that sounds icky and goes against our instinct that bacteria = bad. But those little guys may be just what your little guy (or girl) needs to get set up for a healthy, happy digestive system and a strong immune system years down the road. And they might just save you hours of frustration and missed sleep. Let’s talk baby probiotics, baby!

What do baby probiotics do?

As adults, we have trillions of friendly bacteria living in our gut that help us keep a healthy digestive system. That’s called your gut microbiome! Just like fingerprints, this collection of bacteria is unique to each and every person. Some of the body functions they help out with include:

• Digesting certain foods your stomach and small intestine aren’t able to;
• Producing vitamins (such as B and K);
• Helping keep bad bacteria under control. (More on that later!)

It doesn’t start out that way, though. When babies are in the womb, their tummies are a blank slate. Once they are out and about, they begin to gather a little army of gut helpers, the bacteria they come across as they interact with the world around them. Probiotics help introduce “good” bacteria during the first 3 years of life, paving the way to a healthy, balanced gut microbiome later in life!

Do baby probiotics support immunity?

The immune system is our first line of defence against outside bugs, and though we don’t often think of it that way, the gut is part of this defence squad. A healthy gut is especially important in babies and small children, whose immunity is still in development! Supplementing with baby probiotics might even help dial down on the use of antibiotics: research has shown that probiotics can help reduce the incidence and duration of respiratory, digestive and ear infections in children.

Can I use baby probiotics for colic?

The exact cause of baby colic is a matter of debate within the medical community, but probiotics could be a light at the end of the tunnel for frustrated parents! Studies have linked certain probiotic strains to shorter crying times in breastfed babies with colicky symptoms, as well as fewer colic-related phone calls and visits to the doctor.

How do baby probiotics work?

The gut is like a tiny ecosystem. As bacteria start to settle in, they compete with each other for food and space. Basically, adding good bacteria to your baby’s gut with probiotics ensures that the resources available in the gut are being used by the good guys before the bad guys can even get there!

Organika's new Baby Probiotic Drops with Vitamin D feature a clinically-proven blend of probiotic strains and the sunshine vitamin for a balanced gut microbiome, healthy bones and teeth, and less tears! Wanting to keep your own gut in check as well? Try Probiotic + Prebiotic powder.

References:

Gut microbiota info (Gut Microbiota for Health)

https://www.gutmicrobiotaforhealth.com/en/about-gut-microbiota-info/

Probiotics and immune health (Yan, F. & Polk, D.B. in Current opinion in gastroenterology )

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4006993/

Probiotics could reduce the need for antibiotics during childhood (Cristina Saez in Gut Microbiota for Health)

https://www.gutmicrobiotaforhealth.com/en/probiotics-could-reduce-the-need-for-antibiotics-during-childhood/

Lactobacillus reuteri (American Type Culture Collection Strain 55730) versus simethicone in the treatment of infantile colic: a prospective randomized study (Savino et al. in Pediatrics, 2007)

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17200238

Preventive effects of oral probiotic on infantile colic: a prospective, randomised, blinded, controlled trial using Lactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938 (Savino et al. in Beneficial Microbes, 2015)

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25488262