Harnessing the Power of Probiotics: A Guide to their Use for Infants

Welcoming a new life into the world is an incredible experience, but it often comes with its own set of challenges. For many parents, ensuring the health and well-being of their infants is a top priority. One promising avenue that has gained significant attention in recent years is the use of probiotics for infants.

The first 1000 days marks an important period of an infants life, spanning from conception up until 2 years old. During this period their gut microbiome is playing a signifiant role in their development, including interacting with their immune cells to help build their immune system. Research has shown that this early development may play a pivotal role in their future health, including influencing the risk of certain diseases and conditions including obesity, allergies and type 2 diabetes.

Disruptions to the gut microbiome during these first 1000 days including antibiotic usage (both during pregnancy and for the infant), C-section delivery and bottle-feeding can impact the development of the immune system. Research has shown that probiotics during this time can be used to support the gut microbiome and help promote infant health.

Why Probiotics for Infants?

Probiotics are live microorganisms that, when administered in adequate amounts, offer numerous health benefits. These beneficial bacteria are naturally found in the human gut and play a vital role in maintaining a balanced and healthy digestive system. For infants, the use of probiotics can be particularly advantageous for several reasons:

1. Supporting a Healthy Gut Microbiome: A baby's gut microbiome, the community of microorganisms residing in the digestive tract, is still developing during the early stages of life. Probiotics can help establish a diverse and balanced gut microbiome, which is crucial for proper digestion and immune system development.

2. Immune System Enhancement: Probiotics can boost the infant's immune system, providing protection against infections and illnesses. This is especially valuable during the first few months of life when a baby's immune system is still maturing.

3. Alleviating Digestive Issues: Probiotics can ease common infant digestive issues such as gas, constipation, and diarrhea by promoting a healthier gut environment.

Probiotics can be beneficial for all infants to support their development of their gut microbiome, however there are a number of cases where their use is encourage.

1. C-Section Births: Babies born via C-section do not go through the birth canal, missing the exposure to the beneficial bacteria that occurs during vaginal delivery. Instead their first bacterial exposure is from the skin, or the hospital environment which are not naturally found in the gut microbiome. Studies have suggested that infants born by C-section may have a higher risk of certain health issues, such as allergies and autoimmune diseases.

2. Antibiotic Use: Infants often receive antibiotics to treat infections. While antibiotics are essential for combating bacterial infections, they can also disrupt the balance of bacteria in the gut. .

3. Colic: Colic, characterised by excessive crying and fussiness in infants, can be distressing for both parents and babies. When comparing the gut microbiome of infants with and without colic, studies have shown that infants with colic have an increase in pathogenic bacteria which are responsible for inflammation and gas.

What probiotic should I recommend?

There are many probiotic solutions on the market and choosing the right on can be overwhelming. Knowing what probiotic is not only going to be beneficial for your infant, as well as safe is vitally important. Here are my top tips to look out for -

1. That the probiotic is recommended specifically from infants form birth. An infants gut microbiome from 0-2 years is very different from an adults, meaning they need specific strains.

2. Free of known allergens. If you're trying to understand what is causing your infant's digestive issues including colic, you may also remove certain triggers like dairy. Therefore it's important that the probiotic isn't triggering any allergies. Additionally, infants who have already been diagnosed with allergies or have a family history of allergies, allergen-free probiotics are a safe choice. They can provide the benefits of probiotics without introducing new allergens into the baby's diet.

3. Suitable for both breastfed and bottle-fed infants. Some strains of bacteria rely on breaking down the sugar in breastmilk to have a beneficial effect and therefore have less of an impact for breast-fed infants.

4. A liquid based, dropped probiotic is easy to give to an infant either by dropping directly into their mouth, onto a clean spoon for them to suck or mixed with milk.

5. Clinically research for infants.

6. Strains found naturally in an infants gut microbiome.

I recommend Bifikalm Multibiotic Relief Drops. This contains 2 strains of probiotic that have been isolated from a healthy infants gut. The bacteria is mixed with sunflower oil and can be easily given via drops. The product has been researched to help promote a healthy gut microbiome in infants as well as preventing and treating gastrointestinal disorders like infant colic and constipation.