As a parent or caregiver, you may feel overwhelmed with increased information about the latest trends in nutrition and wellness for your children, including probiotics.
Probiotics are live microorganisms that can have beneficial effects to your health. From birth, your child’s body has teemed with single cells or colonies of bacteria, fungi, yeast and microbes, as well as microorganisms derived from food or the environment.
Beneficial bacteria in the large and small intestines function as immune boosters and help your child’s gut to digest food, absorb nutrients and produce vitamins. However, some bacteria also can be harmful and may require antibiotics to destroy the bad bugs.
The trouble is that antibiotics don’t discriminate between beneficial and harmful organisms. They can kill good bacteria along with the bad, and that can create an imbalance in your child’s body, leading to nausea, diarrhea and other discomfort.
To restore a proper balance, probiotics can be helpful. Probiotic-enriched dietary supplements can provide an extra dose of the good bacteria to reset or rebalance your child’s system.
Dr. Kalpesh Thakkar, MD, pediatric gastroenterologist at Memorial Hermann Medical Group (MHMG) Sugar Land, explains how to know if your child need probiotics. “There are a lot of unknowns with probiotics, which have a wide range of types,” says Dr. Thakkar. “You need to know the right strains of microorganisms they contain, what the dose should be and where you should buy them.”
Dr. Thakkar reminds parents to proceed with caution with guidance from their physician as he reveals six things you should know before giving your child probiotics.
ONE. Not every child needs a probiotic supplement.
If your child is healthy, most likely they don’t need to take a dietary supplement of probiotics. But if your child is ill and has been prescribed antibiotics, they may need them.
Probiotics can also help children who suffer from chronic gastrointestinal diseases such as IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis.
Your doctor also may advise using probiotics for other conditions, such as acid reflux, eczema, allergies or colic; although, the evidence of their effectiveness is not as strong, Dr. Thakkar says.
TWO. Probiotics aren’t miracle drugs. In fact, they’re not even drugs.
While they can soothe a stomachache, cut nausea and fight diarrhea, probiotics cannot boost overall immunity or solve every ailment, Dr. Thakkar says.
THREE. Even infants can take probiotics—under a pediatrician’s guidance.
“Some probiotics are made especially for infants,” Dr. Thakkar says. But your doctor may recommend waiting for a preterm infant’s immune system to get stronger before giving them probiotics. In fact, it’s wise to wait until any child is 6 months old before providing them with such supplements.
The most common side effect is gas or bloating, which can lead to mild discomfort.
FOUR. Probiotics are not all-purpose good guys.
Strains of probiotics are distinctive and only work for certain issues. Similarly, not all harmful microorganisms are alike. Seek probiotics with the specific strain of good bacteria or fungi that your child’s gut needs.
“Also, unlike with antibiotics, the duration and doses are open-ended,” Dr. Thakkar says. “It depends on how your child’s symptoms respond to the treatment. It’s helpful to have a physician guide you.”
Another reason to seek your doctor’s input is that probiotics, sold over the counter as a dietary supplement, “are not as tightly regulated as prescription drugs, and the source of a probiotic can affect the quality,” Dr. Thakkar says.
Check with your doctor to help you find the best brands of probiotics and the best places to buy them.
FIVE. The probiotics found in foods are too few to make a difference.
Beyond being in dietary supplements sold in bottles, live cultures of good microorganisms can come in some foods, such as yogurt and kefir.
But with yogurt and the probiotic drinks you find in a supermarket, the concentration of bacteria or fungus colonies is too low to be effective, Dr. Thakkar says. “Often those have additives, such as dairy or sugar, which can worsen the symptoms for which your child takes a probiotic in the first place.”
SIX. Probiotics don’t linger.
The acids in your child’s gut are food processors, which break down not only food but also probiotics and other supplements. You can’t expect a single dose to take care of most stomach troubles.
That’s where your child’s pediatrician or pediatric gastroenterologist enters the picture. With them as your guide, you can fight the bad guys with the good guys for better gut health.
