Probiotics for Children: Supplement Dosages and Side Effects

Health conscious adults who have added a probiotic to their own daily health regimen often consider whether their children can benefit from probiotic supplementation as well.

There are special probiotic blends formulated to address the needs of children and infants, and some are even available in chewable tablets which taste good, making it easier to your child to take it.

What are the best probiotics for children and what benefits do these supplements provide?

Children tend to have less immunity than adults. Babies are born with little immunity and slowly build good immune function as they are exposed to pathogens in their environment. This occurs through foods they eat and things they touch.

Common childhood bacterial infections include skin infections, ear infections and throat infections (like strep). These are typically treated with antibiotics.

Broad spectrum antibiotics work quickly to rid the body of infection but also deplete the store of good (probiotic) bacteria present within the child’s biome. This decrease creates a void, which the body attempts to quell as quickly as possible.

Sometimes this results in antibiotic-related diarrhea or other intestinal disorders.

Probiotics

Digestive Supplement

Gut Health

Digestion

Immune Function

How It Works:

• Supports a healthy immune system & microflora
• Promotes digestion & nutrient absoprtion
• Combats pathogenic bacteria; Improves metabolism

Dosage:

Between 1 - 10 Billion CFUs per day

Safety:

Rated Likely Safe

Top Probiotics Products* ❯

View User Ratings* ❯

Probiotics for Children

One method through which probiotics work to maintain health is through a process called competitive exclusion.

During this process, good bacteria colonizes the intestines to such an extent that the bad bacteria have nowhere to colonize. They cannot occupy the same space and thus the pathogenic bacteria are displaced.

Another beneficial effect of probiotics for children is the promotion of good immune function which may help ward off contagious bacterial infections in the future. Studies show clearly that the microflora of the digestive tract directly influences the immune system.

In fact, over 50% of our immune system if found in the gut. When the balance of flora is in a state of dysbiosis, one of the results can be improper or inappropriate immune response.

In some people, including children, this can lead to autoimmune disorders including inflammatory diseases of the GI tract. Keeping the immune system at optimal function is important to strengthen resistance.

Probiotics have been demonstrated to reduce the incidence of respiratory illness in preschool children. In a study published in the journal Pediatrics, preschool children who took probiotics daily over a period of three months had fewer respiratory infections and less diarrhea than children given a placebo.

Benefits

Good digestive health can be important in different ways for children than for adults.

For example, during potty training, a good balance of gut flora can help keep things moving regularly through the digestive tract. This allows the child to become accustomed to regular, frequent bowel movements.

Children who deal with constipation or frequent flatulence (gas) often have an imbalance in their flora. This can be frustrating, uncomfortable and embarrassing to children.

Supplementation with appropriate probiotics can mean the difference between feeling comfortable and at ease, or uncomfortable and ill at ease at school or in social situations.

Probiotics are probably used most commonly for children following some kind of disruption of the gut microflora. This can occur because of a change in diet, a stomach illness, too much sugar or, most commonly, an antibiotic regimen.

The digestive tract works to restore itself as quickly as it can, but even in healthy adults with proper immune function, this can take 1-6 months. Some pediatricians prescribe probiotics alongside antibiotics for their patients to assure the pathogenic microbes are not given a window in which to flourish.

Best Probiotics for Children to Use

Eating foods which have been fermented is one way of taking in probiotics on a daily basis.

Yogurt, kefir, cottage cheese and sauerkraut are common foods. Soy sauce, miso and tempeh are also easily found in most supermarkets.

Foods are good sources for adding probiotics to a child’s daily diet but it is not likely foods will contain enough viable probiotic bacteria to restore the GI tract after a disruption has occurred, nor to out-compete pathogenic bacteria which have gained a foothold and are causing symptoms like diarrhea.

Supplements in chewable tablet form are good options for younger children, while capsules or pills are appropriate for children not averse to swallowing them. Dosage should always be determined by the child’s pediatrician who can take all health concerns and history into account.

Review

Probiotics are considered generally safe for most children, however, because the immune system of children can vary extensively from one to the next it is important to talk to a pediatrician before starting a child on a probiotic regimen.

Probiotics for children are a healthy and generally safe option for restoration of the gastrointestinal microflora after taking a course of antibiotics, or other disruption of the gut flora. Studies show a decrease in respiratory illness and a reduction in episodes of diarrhea in children who take probiotic supplements.

Chewable tablets can be found at better health food stores and in many grocers. It is also possible to give children Probiotic milk or yogurt on an on-going basis to improve digestive health.

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