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| Probiotics |
The next time your child has a stomach bug, a healthy dose of bacteria might be just what the doctor ordered. Probiotics, or “good germs,” can soothe troubled tummies and may also help with other kids’ health problems.
Probiotics are living microorganisms that are like the “friendly” ones that live in the intestines, help digest food, and regulate your immune system. Most often they are bacteria, but they may also be other organisms such as yeasts. The bacteria usually come from two groups, Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium. Within each group, there are different species and strains. Probiotics are sold as foods or dietary supplements including capsules, pills, and powders that you can mix with food or drinks.
Probiotics for Children: Are They Safe and Effective ?
In healthy children and even babies, probiotics are generally safe, says Dan W. Thomas, MD, associate professor of clinical pediatrics at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. However, probiotics could be dicey for children with compromised immune systems, those with implanted devices like dialysis catheters, or extremely premature infants, he says.
For kids’ health, probiotics are most commonly used to shorten the course of stomach bugs and prevent or treat the gastrointestinal distress that sometimes accompanies taking antibiotics. Broad-spectrum antibiotics kill the bad bacteria that are causing your child’s illness. However, they also can kill the good kind that keeps the digestive system running smoothly, resulting in diarrhea. Probiotics repopulate the gut with the good bugs, putting your child’s system back in balance.
Other Uses of Probiotics for Children
Probiotics have been studied for use in a variety of illnesses. Although more research is needed, probiotics could prevent or treat:
- Eczema and allergies in children
- Irritable bowel syndrome or inflammatory bowel disease
- Colds
- Vaginal infections
- Necrotizing enterocolitis (severe bowel damage in ill premature infants)
Whether probiotics are effective for all of these issues is a difficult question, says Michael Steiner, MD, medical director of Children’s Clinics at North Carolina Children’s Hospital in Chapel Hill. “Because there is a wide variety of probiotics, making a statement about whether probiotics ‘work’ for all of these can be very confusing. Different probiotics work differently, and some are effective and some are not,” Dr. Steiner says.
Still, he personally recommends the use of Lactobacillus GG (LGG) when children are going to take powerful antibiotics or when they have viral diarrhea. “Other than those situations and some more serious medical conditions, I think the decision about whether to use probiotics should be left to individual children and parents after discussion with their doctors.”
One note about probiotic supplements: Be sure to check the labels for expiration dates and storage instructions. Probiotics are living organisms and some need to be refrigerated.
Probiotic Yogurt and Other Foods
You’ve probably seen television commercials touting the benefits of probiotic yogurt and other foods. Should you feed them to your children? Dr. Thomas says it makes sense if “the overall nutritional value of the food itself is good.” However, he notes that the “added benefit of foods that contain probiotics needs further research.”
Here are some probiotic foods that your kids might enjoy, though it’s always best to check with your doctor on whether the product is appropriate for the age of your child :
- Kashi “Vive” Probiotic Digestive Wellness Cereal in Toasted Graham and Vanilla
- Attune Bars (chocolate, peanut butter, and strawberry)
- Attune Granola Munch (maple nut, apple cinnamon, and chocolate)
- Dannon “Activia” Yogurt
- Yoplait “Yo-plus” Proactive Nutrition Yogurt
- Dannon’s Danimals, a drinkable smoothie that contains LGG
Look for the “Live and Active Cultures” seal to make sure you’re getting a probiotic yogurt.
The Future of Probiotics
Medical researchers are investigating new uses for probiotics. In fact, there’s some evidence the tiny organisms may even help reduce colic in infants — music to the ears of new parents. Steiner is enthusiastic about the future of probiotics, saying, “The use of probiotics in medicine is something that is definitely changing rapidly. There is a wide variety of conditions that may be helped by probiotics, and in the future they may become commonly prescribed by health care workers.”
By Regina Boyle Wheeler | Medically reviewed by Pat F. Bass III, MD, MPH
Article Source : http://www.everydayhealth.com/
