Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

Giving children probiotics

Wendy Sue Swanson, MD
Conditions
December 18, 2010
Share
Tweet
Share

I’m becoming more of a believer in giving children probiotics. Not for everything and not for everyone; I really don’t think we should put them in the water.

Probiotics, essentially live “good” bacteria we use to supplement our diet (usually Lactobacillus Acidophilus in the US), are becoming more and more available and recommended by more and more physicians. The role microbes play in our health is a hot topic. Probiotics are thought to improve intestinal health by restoring/elevating levels of  helpful bacteria while concurrently diminishing the population of harmful ones.

Bacteria in the intestine are a normal part of our digestive health, but population counts of  bacteria living in our gut may be altered by illness, antibiotic use, ingested/modified foods, or life circumstance. What we eat and where we travel to drink water, change what lives in our gut. Research also finds that which bacteria cohabitate on our bodies may impact other illnesses outside the gut like eczema, allergies, and/or asthma.

In children, probiotic supplements may promote recovery from acute diarrhea by decreasing the number of episodes of diarrhea & the number of days. They also may help prevent the development diarrhea when children are taking antibiotics. The reality is many decisions we make affect our populations of bacteria. This starts on the day of birth. We know for example that babies born by C-section have different populations of bacteria in their poop when compared with those babies born vaginally, within a week after birth. So from the very beginning, the choices we make (or our parents make) may change the environment in our bodies. This ultimately may change our wellness. A set of doctors studied the effect of probiotics on colicky babies…

Probiotics are often found naturally in food (yogurt with active cultures) while some yogurt and commercially available foods (and infant formula) are fortified with additional cultures. You can also buy Lactobacillus capsules (or other probiotics) at drug and health food stores. How active, and how plentiful these probiotics remain in these products is up for debate. Probiotic supplements (and culture-fortified foods) are not regulated by the FDA. How much is in a capsule or packet is unknown and likely inconsistent from brand to brand or day to day. And if the probiotic cultures are dead, they may do very little to promote change in your body. As a consumer, knowing that a supplement is alive is impossible.

That being said, although the choices of probiotics are limited in the US,  the literature and research surrounding altering a child’s bacteria to preserve their health and wellness is both fascinating and promising. Outside of Lactobacillus, relatively few studies have been done with US children and probiotics. But, we’re learning a lot from our European colleagues. The risks of giving a probiotic supplement continue to prove to be very low in children with a healthy immune system. But like anything in pediatrics, there is always theoretic risk when you intervene.

An Italian study in a recent Pediatrics evaluated the benefit of probiotics for fussy or colicky babies. Researchers found positive results in breastfed infants receiving daily Lactobacillus reuteri. In Europe, probiotics are more carefully regulated than they are here in the US. So, it’s possible this data/study really isn’t applicable to our babies as we don’t have access to the same supplements. But read what they found.

In the study:

  • Colic was defined using the rule of 3′s. A colicky baby is defined as one under 3 months of age who cries more than 3 hrs a day, more than 3 days a week for at least 3 weeks.
  • About 50 exclusively breastfed, colicky babies were randomized into 2 groups. One group of babies was fed a placebo/inert supplement with no probiotics, while the other group got Lactobacillus daily. Parents and researchers didn’t know which babies got the bacteria (double-blind study).
  • Among colicky infants who received the probiotic, there was a significant reduction in daily crying time at the end of the study (day 21) compared with placebo group.
  • Crying improved by the end of the study in both groups, as is expected with colic.
  • Researchers also analyzed the poop from both sets of babies and found different bacterial populations between the groups of babies. Those given the probiotic had far more Lactobacillus in their stool.
  • Researchers theorize that changes in intestinal environment (bacteria, ammonia) may have changed sensory experience for babies and thus their crying behaviors.

It’s hard to prove that the bacteria fed to these babies is directly responsible for crying improvement but significant differences in the two groups were noted. And although it may seem counter-intuitive to families to feed their child bacteria, after we discuss benefits, many parents opt to supplement their children with Lactobacillus due to low cost and ease of administration (can sprinkle in anything). If your baby is a crier and you think and worry about colic, you may want to talk with your pediatrician about starting a Lactobacillus supplement. With the low risk, an improvement in crying would be good for everyone. The bottom line is I don’t think probiotics will cause a fussy baby any harm, and this is new research that indicates it may really help.

A spoonful of bacteria for baby, then.

Wendy Sue Swanson is a pediatrician who blogs at Seattle Mama Doc.

Submit a guest post and be heard.

Prev

Medical school and medical training in Ireland

December 17, 2010 Kevin 10
…
Next

Everything about medicine is now big business

December 18, 2010 Kevin 8
…

Tagged as: Primary Care

Post navigation

< Previous Post
Medical school and medical training in Ireland
Next Post >
Everything about medicine is now big business

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

More by Wendy Sue Swanson, MD

  • Scared about Zika virus? Here are some answers that you need to know.

    Wendy Sue Swanson, MD
  • A Google search can make all the difference in the world for patients

    Wendy Sue Swanson, MD
  • a desk with keyboard and ipad with the kevinmd logo

    Were the physicians on Jimmy Kimmel professional?

    Wendy Sue Swanson, MD

More in Conditions

  • Financing cancer or fighting it: the real cost of tobacco

    Dr. Bhavin P. Vadodariya
  • 5 cancer myths that could delay your diagnosis or treatment

    Joseph Alvarnas, MD
  • When bleeding disorders meet IVF: Navigating von Willebrand disease in fertility treatment

    Oluyemisi Famuyiwa, MD
  • What one diagnosis can change: the movement to make dining safer

    Lianne Mandelbaum, PT
  • How kindness in disguise is holding women back in academic medicine

    Sylk Sotto, EdD, MPS, MBA
  • Measles is back: Why vaccination is more vital than ever

    American College of Physicians
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Physician patriots: the forgotten founders who lit the torch of liberty

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Physician
    • Why medical students are trading empathy for publications

      Vijay Rajput, MD | Education
    • The hidden cost of becoming a doctor: a South Asian perspective

      Momeina Aslam | Education
    • Why fixing health care’s data quality is crucial for AI success [PODCAST]

      Jay Anders, MD | Podcast
    • When a doctor becomes the narrator of a patient’s final chapter

      Ryan McCarthy, MD | Physician
    • When errors of nature are treated as medical negligence

      Howard Smith, MD | Physician
  • Past 6 Months

    • What’s driving medical students away from primary care?

      ​​Vineeth Amba, MPH, Archita Goyal, and Wayne Altman, MD | Education
    • A faster path to becoming a doctor is possible—here’s how

      Ankit Jain | Education
    • How dismantling DEI endangers the future of medical care

      Shashank Madhu and Christian Tallo | Education
    • Make cognitive testing as routine as a blood pressure check

      Joshua Baker and James Jackson, PsyD | Conditions
    • How scales of justice saved a doctor-patient relationship

      Neil Baum, MD | Physician
    • The broken health care system doesn’t have to break you

      Jessie Mahoney, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • When a doctor becomes the narrator of a patient’s final chapter

      Ryan McCarthy, MD | Physician
    • Why innovation in health care starts with bold thinking

      Miguel Villagra, MD | Tech
    • Navigating fair market value as an independent or locum tenens physician [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Gaslighting and professional licensing: a call for reform

      Donald J. Murphy, MD | Physician
    • How self-improving AI systems are redefining intelligence and what it means for health care

      Harvey Castro, MD, MBA | Tech
    • How blockchain could rescue nursing home patients from deadly miscommunication

      Adwait Chafale | Tech

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

View 5 Comments >

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Physician patriots: the forgotten founders who lit the torch of liberty

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Physician
    • Why medical students are trading empathy for publications

      Vijay Rajput, MD | Education
    • The hidden cost of becoming a doctor: a South Asian perspective

      Momeina Aslam | Education
    • Why fixing health care’s data quality is crucial for AI success [PODCAST]

      Jay Anders, MD | Podcast
    • When a doctor becomes the narrator of a patient’s final chapter

      Ryan McCarthy, MD | Physician
    • When errors of nature are treated as medical negligence

      Howard Smith, MD | Physician
  • Past 6 Months

    • What’s driving medical students away from primary care?

      ​​Vineeth Amba, MPH, Archita Goyal, and Wayne Altman, MD | Education
    • A faster path to becoming a doctor is possible—here’s how

      Ankit Jain | Education
    • How dismantling DEI endangers the future of medical care

      Shashank Madhu and Christian Tallo | Education
    • Make cognitive testing as routine as a blood pressure check

      Joshua Baker and James Jackson, PsyD | Conditions
    • How scales of justice saved a doctor-patient relationship

      Neil Baum, MD | Physician
    • The broken health care system doesn’t have to break you

      Jessie Mahoney, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • When a doctor becomes the narrator of a patient’s final chapter

      Ryan McCarthy, MD | Physician
    • Why innovation in health care starts with bold thinking

      Miguel Villagra, MD | Tech
    • Navigating fair market value as an independent or locum tenens physician [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Gaslighting and professional licensing: a call for reform

      Donald J. Murphy, MD | Physician
    • How self-improving AI systems are redefining intelligence and what it means for health care

      Harvey Castro, MD, MBA | Tech
    • How blockchain could rescue nursing home patients from deadly miscommunication

      Adwait Chafale | Tech

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

Giving children probiotics
5 comments

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...