Probiotics for Infants: Everything You need to Know

Probiotics (meaning "for life") are types of live bacteria. These "good" or "friendly" bacteria are typically present at high levels in the digestive system of breastfed babies that have also been vaginally delivered. 

In formula-fed babies, probiotics promote a balance of bacteria in your baby's digestive system and offset the growth of organisms that could cause infections and inflammation.

Examples of probiotic organisms include Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, Streptococcus, and Saccharomyces boulardi (a beneficial yeast)

Probiotics’ vital role is to balance beneficial and harmful bacteria in your little one’s developing body. Probiotics achieve this in two ways; first, by supporting immune function and second, by reducing inflammation. These two factors together have enormous advantages for your baby:

🦠Keep harmful bacteria at bay & prevent them from entering the bloodstream

🦠Breakdown of medications and toxins

🦠Produce vitamin K and increase the absorption of vitamin D

🦠Enhance intestinal function to improve digestion

Baby probiotics are beneficial in treating conditions like diarrhea and eczema (atopic dermatitis) in infants. They may also help manage allergies and to prevent urinary tract infections. Families also tout probiotics to relieve symptoms of colic and soothe digestive worries. 

Infants at risk of getting atopic conditions may benefit from probiotic supplements. This is especially helpful for formula-fed infants. 

Preterm infants are at an elevated risk of contracting necrotizing enterocolitis. This is because of antibiotic administration after birth and the limited development of typical digestive microorganisms.

Probiotic supplements may help preterm or low-birth-weight infants develop these vital microorganisms in conjunction with organic baby formula.

Probiotics may be helpful in the management of chronic inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn's disease or chronic ulcerative colitis) in toddlers. 

An infant's delicate digestive system can easily experience upsets that can disturb the healthy bacteria in an infant’s gut. The use of antibiotics, food allergies, and childhood illnesses are just a few ways that may lead to unhealthy gut bacteria propagation.

An imbalance between good and harmful bacteria can cause several distressing symptoms in your baby.

🦠 Diarrhea

🦠 Constipation

🦠 Allergies

🦠 Colic

🦠 Eczema

Baby probiotics help tiny bodies additionally by encouraging healthy immune system development and balance between innate and adaptive immunity (i.e. TH1 and TH2) thereby diminishing or eliminating such symptoms. 

A 2014 study found the health and financial benefits of treating healthy babies with probiotics in their first three months.

Baby probiotics help avoid the onset of GI conditions, like reflux and constipation, and reduce overall crying time.

There are three top probiotic strains of baby probiotics. Each has properties that calm digestive worries, help comfort, and minimize pain.

This strain supports immature digestive systems and nutrient absorption and in turn can be helpful with constipation, diarrhea, and infant skin conditions such as eczema and yeast infections.

This probiotic strain may be the most prevalent in infants. Assisting with overall health

and digestion, this form of baby probiotics reduces inflammation and supports immune function.

Older babies and toddlers ages 6-36 months have nearly 1/3 fewer cases of diarrhea and 1/2 as many respiratory infections when this particular baby probiotic is added to their daily diet. 

The Probiotics Institute published a study where newborn babies were given either baby formula supplemented with a probiotic in the form of bifidobacterium, standard baby formula, or breastfed.

The results were encouraging and have set the standard for further studies and have now proven to be a safe and effective way to balance and maintain a healthy gut in infants.

Babies who were given the probiotic baby formula had a similar amount of bifidobacteria in their gut as that of breastfed babies, which was a significantly higher amount than in the babies receiving the standard formula.

Babies who cried excessively and fussed were given baby probiotics and had a significantly lower incidence of crying and fussing than those who were given a placebo treatment.

Your baby’s gut microbiome is populated naturally during the first days of life and can be maintained in several ways.

During vaginal birth, a baby’s microbiome may be directly influenced by the woman’s microbiome.

As a woman’s gut microbiome changes from trimester to trimester, there is an increase in the amount of beneficial bifidobacteria. Bifidobacteria are essential in the early years of life because these bacteria are central to developing a baby’s immune health.

A study allowed researchers to follow seventeen mothers and their infants. In babies born by vaginal delivery, particular strains of bifidobacteria were observed in both the mother and baby.

It is fascinating to note that babies born by cesarean did not have these specific strains in common with their mothers. This heavily suggests that these baby probiotics were passed from mothers to newborns during vaginal birth.

Bonding time is significant for all newborn babies. The benefits to your baby’s health and well-being are immeasurable. Skin-to-skin plays a particularly vital role for babies born via cesarean delivery and are not exposed to their mother's beneficial bacteria during delivery.

This snuggling time offers an opportunity for beneficial bacteria to transfer from mom to baby.

Human breast milk is rich in probiotics, particularly Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium Infantis. These readily available healthy bacteria are transferred from mother to baby through the mother's milk.

European baby formulas are designed to meet every developmental and nutritional need. This careful thought includes the addition of probiotics in many of the leading brands. 

Formula-fed babies have many optionsthat have been fortified with probiotics along with a balance of organic nutrients.

The inclusion of probiotics in baby formulas reflects the natural contents of breast milk and helps promote beneficial bacteria in your baby’s gut. These probiotics work alongside your baby's microflora to improve your baby's well-being.

Baby probiotics added to the European baby formula may help to prevent or treat digestive worries.

HiPP Organic Baby Formula Company understands how essential it is to provide babies with safe, wholesome nutrition for all families. HiPP designs unique powdered baby formulas that contain the natural probiotic L. fermentum hereditum®. 

HiPP Comfort has probiotics to complement the 86-87% hydrolyzed protein and is specially designed for infants who experience gassy tummies, colic, constipation, and may have food-related allergies. 

HiPP German Organic Combiotic Formula is one of the best-selling baby milk formulas of all time. It comes packed with high-quality organic ingredients and is subject to considerably stricter criteria than those stipulated by law.

Along with natural prebiotics, HiPP German has added probiotics for added digestive protection.

HiPP Dutch Organic Combiotic supports the development of healthy intestinal microbiota with its symbiotic composition that includes probiotics naturally sourced.

This exceptional baby formula has baby probiotics and prebiotics for extra support and is manufactured to be free from toxic ingredients and common allergens.

HiPP Kindermilch Organic Combiotic is the nutritional reinforcement your toddler needs. As solid food is introduced to infants, probiotics are more crucial than ever.

This high-calorie formula has the optimal balance of nutrients to support eye, bone, cognitive health, and gut health, all while keeping out heavy metal and non-lactose sugars.

Digestive worries and sensitive systems need gentle ingredients formulated to meet the needs of babies with the most delicate systems.

European Goat Formulas contain less lactose than cow's milk by approximately half a percent, and due to A2 milk protein, it is easier to digest. When you add probiotics to the natural benefits of goat milk baby formula, your baby will have relief from gas, bloating, and other digestive trouble.

Probiotics are live microorganisms (bacteria) whose presence in your infant’s gut provides benefits to health, the immune system, and digestion.

The Milky Box is proud to carry European baby formulas that incorporate probiotics to strengthen your infant’s immune system and can help prevent infections—organic nutrition for every nutritional and digestive need from our family to yours.