Best Probiotics for Babies
Today, we’re going to help you find the best probiotic for infants. You’re going to be able to relax safe in the knowledge that your little one is protected against all sorts of digestive-based illnesses and that they’re supported for everything from maximum immune function to a healthier digestive system with a market-leading product.
It can be hard to know where to turn and it can feel like you’re taking a massive risk whenever you introduce a supplement into your baby’s life. We’re here to ensure that you have all of the information you could ever need to make the safest and most effective choice possible. You don’t need to look any further. Read on to find out everything you could ever need to know about these highly beneficial supplementary products to maximize your baby’s health.
How Did We Pick the Best Probiotics for Babies?
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Best Overall
Culturelle Baby Grow + Thrive Probiotics + Vitamin D Drops
Key Features
- 2.5 million CFU's + Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium
- 400 IU, 30 fl oz formula
- Added vitamin D
- #1 Paediatrician recommended brand
Why It is Better?
- Highly effective ingredients work effectively with natural breast milk cultures
- Used by thousands, so parents can be assured of quality
- Additional vitamin D provides vital joint and bone support
- Why Do You Need Probiotics for Babies?
- How to Pick the Right Probiotics for a Baby
- Top 5 Best Probiotics for Babies
- 1. Culturelle Baby Grow + Thrive Probiotics + Vitamin D Drops
- 2. Mommy’s Bliss – Probiotic Drops Everyday
- 3. BioGaia Protectis Probiotics Drops with Vitamin D
- 4. Klaire Labs Ther-Biotic Infant Probiotics Powder
- 5. Seeking Health ProBiota Infant Powder
- How Do Probiotics Help Babies?
- Main Types of Probiotics for Babies
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Conclusion
Why Do You Need Probiotics for Babies?
While a baby is still developing, several aspects of its functionality aren’t anywhere near an optimal level when compared to a child of say a year or older. This is where it’s crucial to support them in every way possible to combat everything from illness to fatigue. We can do this through a number of means, but one of the most effective is through probiotics for babies, which have been engineered to deliver several positive health benefits across every possible key area.
At a very basic level, products within this category allow your child to more effectively digest the food you give them, which in turn means that they’re more readily able to access the nutrients it contains. Maximum nutrient uptake can be tricky for some babies as their digestive tract develops, making this a crucial supportive element to offer on the baby supplement and food market. It’s on that note that we should mention that for some, products like this will be vital.
No two children are the same, and should your baby be at any kind of genetic disadvantage with their digestive tract, they’re going to need as much assistance as possible from as early in their development as possible to optimize their ability to draw on vital nutrients.
In these rare instances, any missed development via a lack of effective nutrient uptake can dramatically impact their ability to fully grow and function both mentally and physically. This is where a product like this can help to improve a baby’s long-term quality of life. In either instance, whether it’s to support normal growth and development or to boost an impaired digestive system, the benefits of having a fully functional digestive system will reach far into adulthood.
How to Pick the Right Probiotics for a Baby
If you walk into the shopping process blind when choosing baby supplementation, it can have far reaching negative consequences. In this section, we’re going to lay out all of the information you could possibly need to make an educated comparison on the best baby probiotics. Following this, you should feel confident enough to make an effective decision for your child.
- Strain count: A strain count simply represents the number of different bacteria strains that a product of this type contains. The reason why this is important is because different strains have different properties. Some strains aid digestive health whereas others can provide immune and organ support, too. The more strains a product has, the more benefits it can offer. This is where probiotics can come in useful as all-in-one supplements rather than just being used to enhance digestive health.
- CFU – how many? This might sound like something straight out of a science text book, and in a way, it is. But don’t be daunted. Though CFU stands for Culture Forming Units, all it means is how much live bacteria this product can produce. The higher the live bacteria count is, the more efficiency it’s going to have. Always look for products with a high CFU count and compare closely with others..
- Delivery: Because the stomach (even a baby’s) contains a number of harsh digestive juices designed to break down food, this means that only strong bacterial strains can survive it and provide benefits for the body. With this in mind, try to get a product that contains lactobacillus and bifidobacterium. These strains allow for safe passage through the digestive tract and stomach and will thus ensure that your baby can access the nutrients contained within your product of choice.
- Check the age: Despite probiotics for babies being manufactured for infant use, as an age range, this is quite a broad spectrum. During these crucial early years, a matter of months can make a huge difference in regards to how advanced your child’s development is. With this in mind, probiotic products cover different age ranges. Make sure that you select the right one based on the current age (be as precise as you can – down to the exact month) of your infant as this will offer the exact level of support that’ll be most optimal.
- Use by date: Because the contents of these items is so sensitive, you cannot risk giving an out of date or almost out of date product to your child. Always carefully check the date of these items on the shelves to ensure that it has plenty of active life left, otherwise the impact of the bacteria strains will be impeded.
- Check the dosage: Never try to guess how much of a probiotic product you need to give to your child. Always inspect the product packaging down to the last detail to make sure that you get this aspect right and don’t risk any negative health effects. Dosage is also closely related to value with many products. If something seems cheap, it might be because it requires large doses and therefore frequent replacement. Make sure that you’re getting your money’s worth while checking for safety reasons.
- Ingredients and additional ingredients: Obviously, you only want to give your child the best possible ingredients. Check to make sure that everything contained in your preferred product is all natural and completely safe. No filler material should be accepted, and you can find peace of mind in products that are supported by doctors. Additional ingredients in the form of extra vitamins and minerals are only going to make the product more effective, too. They’ll help with extra immune and organ support, providing a wide array of protective health benefits.
- Administration type: Whether it’s capsules, tablets, drops, powders, or even chewy gummies, the best probiotic for infants is going to be the one that you can successfully use with your baby as opposed to simply choosing any random option. If you know that your child is a fussy eater, a gummy might not work. If you know that they can’t swallow tablets, then droplets would be best. Regardless of your option, make sure that it’s going to be totally compatible with your child, otherwise they can’t access the benefits it contains.
- Brands: Some of the best brands currently producing products in this category are ProBiota, Culturelle, Klaire Labs, LoveBug, Hyperbiotics, American Lifeline, Naturo Sciences, and Culturelle Baby. Though you should never shop purely on a name alone, reputable brands are a great way to access products that are already being used to a high degree of satisfaction by thousands of people. It’s still very important to compare ingredients even when using any of the above (or other) brand names. Every baby is individual, and some ingredients might not agree with your child.
Top 5 Best Probiotics for Babies
We’re now going to provide you with 5 of the best probiotics for babies available on the market, so that no matter what, you leave today with a viable option for your own baby.
1. Culturelle Baby Grow + Thrive Probiotics + Vitamin D Drops Review
Key Features
- 2.5 million CFU's + Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium
- 400 IU, 30 fl oz formula
- Added vitamin D
- #1 Paediatrician recommended brand
We Like
- Highly effective ingredients work effectively with natural breast milk cultures
- Used by thousands, so parents can be assured of quality
- Additional vitamin D provides vital joint and bone support
- Paediatrician support establishes trust and product viability
We Don’t Like
- Only one additional vitamin
- More expensive than some options
This formula is designed to work alongside the naturally occurring bacteria in breast milk and delivers an all-encompassing, highly efficient approach to digestive and overall baby development. Included as part of the formula is vitamin D for additional joint and bone support as your baby grows. Designed for babies 0 – 12 years of age, this easy to use formula just needs to be combined with either your breast milk at feed time or dropped into your baby’s mouth.
Since this product is the number one selling paediatrician recommended brand available, this should provide any parent with an enormous degree of reassurance that their child is in good hands. Efficiency is further supported here with the inclusion of lactobacillus and bifidobacterium. The only real negative here is that there aren’t more additional benefits besides the vitamin D, but considering the quality of the ingredients and the reputation of the brand, that’s not an enormous issue by any means.
2. Mommy’s Bliss – Probiotic Drops Everyday Review
Key Features
- Contains 1 billion cells of lactobacillus
- All natural and free of the top 8 allergens
- Pediatrician recommended
- Easy to use
We Like
- Highly effective, pure, and easily digestable ingredients
- Supported by pediatricians and thousands of already happy customers
- Excellent for those who want a simple probiotic product
- No additives means no risk of allergen issues
We Don’t Like
- No additional vitamins or minerals
- Some may prefer a higher concentration of bacteria
For a pediatrician recommended product that offers safe, natural, and effective gut protection and optimization for your baby, it’s hard to argue with what’s on offer with Mommy’s Bliss probiotic drops. The best probiotics for babies don’t always have to come packing a huge array of additional vitamins and minerals. If you’re already using a comprehensive multivitamin product, for instance, you’ll just need basic support for optimum digestive and gut function.
This is where this option shines through due to it meeting that exact end using a high concentration of lactobacillus that’ll easily pass through the digestive tract intact, immediately improving gut operation. These easy to administer drops are vegan, gluten free, vegetarian friendly, and completely safe for use by almost all babies as they contain no additives. Even if your child is an allergy sufferer, there’s nothing here to agitate them.
3. BioGaia Protectis Probiotics Drops with Vitamin D Review
Key Features
- The original probiotic drop for babies
- Trusted by pediatricians
- Contains naturally occurring, safe ingredients
- Added vitamin D
We Like
- Proven effectiveness due to long standing user and retail history
- Maximum safety
- Additional vitamin D is great for enhanced development
- Formula has been refined and improved over decades
We Don’t Like
- Additional vitamins and minerals would have been beneficial
- Not as highly dosed as other products on the marke
If you want a product with an impeccable track record and outstanding service history, then this option from BioGaia will deliver everything you need and more. As the very first drop delivery probiotic available on the market, the manufacturers have had years upon years to get their product right. And as thousands of positive user reviews will attest to, they absolutely have.
Featuring naturally occurring L. reuteri, rest assured that your baby’s gut is going to receive a natural and effective boost in conjunction with joint and bone development support from the included vitamin D, contained at a high enough dose to cater for most baby’s average daily needs. This is an excellent value product due to each bottle catering for 50 doses. There are higher dosage products on the market, but the sense of security that this highly reputable brand can offer is very difficult to beat for any concerned parent wanting the best for their child.
4. Klaire Labs Ther-Biotic Infant Probiotics Powder Review
Key Features
- 5 billion CFU blend
- Multispecies probiotics to optimise efficiency for all infants
- A trusted and highly reputable brand since 1969
- Created with physicians
We Like
- Powdered delivery is more optimal for som
- One of the most potent products on the market
- Decades worth of satisfied customers and physician referrals
- High CFU count
We Don’t Like
- No additional vitamins or minerals
- Powdered delivery form might not work for every parent
A well-established brand trusted since 1969, Klare Labs delivers one of the best products on the market for those looking for probiotic powder for baby use. Easily mixed with food or breast milk at room temperature, this is an excellent option for anyone who wants an alternative means of delivery other than drops. With a 5 billion CFU blend, this is also one of the most potent formulas money can buy.
You’re paying slightly more here than you would for some other products, but that’s to be expected given the potency on offer. The ingredients are totally hypoallergenic and have been included after close consultation with experienced physicians. This item ships with a cold pack to ensure that the contents arrive in a safe, usable, and highly digestible state of readiness for your baby’s immediate benefit.
5. Seeking Health ProBiota Infant Powder Review
Key Features
- 10 billion CFU culture
- Free shipping from a climate-controlled facility
- Use this product all the way up to two years of age
- Shipped in packaging that safeguards potency
We Like
- One of if not the most potent dosage for a product in this category
- Excellent value with 120 servings
- Easy to use powdered formula for easy mixing with food
- Safe shipping method
We Don’t Like
- Not the best all in one formula due to no additional ingredients
- Powdered delivery format might not work for everyone
For those who want what is perhaps the ultimate option for maximum potency, this 10 billion CFU formula delivers an enormous dose of gut-friendly bacteria to massively optimize your infant’s digestive health safely and effectively. Produced in a climate-controlled warehouse, ProBiota clearly wanted to cater for those who believe that more is more by including as much live bacteria as possible while ensuring that every single one of them arrives safely to your home for maximum efficiency.
Designed for use with any child 2 years of age or under, you can continue to use this product throughout your child’s entire infancy all the way up to toddler age. This makes it an excellent one-stop solution that you can continue to come back to. Though there are options out there that throw a wider variety of benefits into their formula, the dosage and manufacturing safety aspects on offer here are so hard to beat that it’s easy to forgive.
How Do Probiotics Help Babies?
Now that you’ve seen some of the best probiotic options money can buy, we’re going to make you aware of all of the different ways in which these items can help your baby.
- Reduced skin issues: One of the lesser known benefits of using a probiotic for babies is that it can help to either eradicate or completely avoid skin issues altogether. Oftentimes, skin issues arise due to bacterial imbalances, so introducing healthy, cleansing bacteria will lead to more purification within the digestive tract and less harmful elements being introduced into the blood stream that’ll end up manifesting themselves in external skin issues.
- Immune support: Perhaps the most important benefit on offer with probiotic products next to enhanced nutrient uptake as the result of a healthier gut is the fact that they can also enhance your child’s immune system. It’s known that up to 80% of our immune system lies in our gut, meaning that healthy, cleansing bacteria will keep it in full working order. This means less illnesses and infections and a lower risk of getting said illnesses and infections.
- Reduced obesity risk: Having healthy bacteria in the gut has been associated with reducing obesity risk. If your child has low levels of “friendly” bacteria in their gut, then using a product like this should help to lower the risk of them struggling with unwanted weight gain.
- Improved digestion and easing reflux: Symptoms like IBS, reflux, and diarrhea can occur when the bacterial balance in the gut isn’t right. As a result, incorporating a product as part of your child’s day to day routine that features healthy bacteria will help them to digest food more readily and ensure that they don’t suffer from ailments like this. It’ll also make the digestive process more effective, leading to enhanced nutrient uptake. Overall, introducing these products maximizes your baby’s chance to develop in as holistic of a fashion as possible. This is a crucial part of avoiding ailments going into adulthood, too.
Main Types of Probiotics for Babies
Though the primary goal of any baby probiotic product is to introduce healthy bacteria into your infant’s gut (amongst potential other additional benefits), precisely how your product is administered may vary depending on the variety you go for.
There are several reasons why you might opt for one variant over another, but usually, it’s simply because one option will make using the product easier for you whereas another may be harder depending on your child’s temperament and preferences. Here are the main varieties on offer:
- Liquid: Liquid delivery is very common because it’s easy to blend in with drinks and food without your baby realizing it. Liquid formats include droplets to go directly into your baby’s mouth or food, or a liquid that you pour into consumable food types. Either variety will ultimately achieve the same end result.
- Chewable tablets: This option is a tablet in a chewable flavoured form that your baby ingests orally. Following this, the bacteria it contains are then put through the digestive process and end up working their way safely down to your baby’s gut. This variety can be an enjoyable treat for your child, but make sure that they’re old enough to chew effectively before considering using a product from this category.
- Melting tablets: Melting tablets are optimised for taste and are a dissolvable tablet that you place into your baby’s mouth. As soon as the tablet mixes with saliva, it then begins to break down and work its way into your infant’s digestive tract for safe absorption in the gut.
- Pearls: Pearls For babies that perhaps struggle to chew due to their age, pearls are an excellent alternative to chewable varieties that can be swallowed with ease. After being swallowed, the bacteria contained within then gets processed through your child’s digestive system.
- Different food types: There are some fortified food varieties that contain large concentrations of CFUs to enhance your child’s gut health. These products can either be used alone or in conjunction with other items on the probiotic market for maximum efficiency. Make sure that your child can digest and break down the food type properly before administration as they may not be old enough to manage certain food varieties or may have allergies associated with them.
- Gummy sweets: For fussy eaters that need something fun if they’re going to hold interest, gummy probiotics are sweets fortified with healthy bacteria that your baby can enjoy and reap massive health benefits from at the same time.
- Powders: Powders are a convenient alternative to liquid variants and can easily be combined with food and drink to allow for practical and safe administration. These varieties can come in useful if your child struggles with swallowing or chewing small tablets and other chewable options.
Frequently Asked Questions
We’re now going to present you with 5 of the most common questions people ask about probiotic supplements for infants and answer them for your peace of mind before you make a purchase.
Though these products have been engineered to be a safe and highly effective means of boosting your child’s health, not all children are suitable for them. As such, you should always consult with a pediatrician before you commence use.
Provided it’s safe for your child to use a product like this after consultation with a pediatrician, then your child is unlikely to encounter any adverse side effects. However, gas, bloating, or constipation are possible. Always consult with a physician if you have concerns.
Though this may not be the most direct answer, the fact is that the right dose for your child is going to be the dose prescribed on the packaging of your product. This is never open to interpretation and must be strictly adhered to at all times.
It’s absolutely true that your baby will get them from breast milk, yes. But if they struggle with stomach issues or impaired digestive functionality, then it’s always wise to supplement with one of these products as a means of topping up their digestive efficiency and optimizing health.
Always consult with a pediatrician first. But on the whole, it is usually completely safe to supplement a formula-fed infant with a probiotic product. This will enhance the arsenal of defensive bacteria they have at their disposal for optimal health.
Conclusion
Though the world of baby probiotics is scary for some, after reading through today’s post, you should now have all of the information you need to choose the right option for maximizing your child’s health. By using the list of key benefits that we’ve provided you with, you now know precisely what a good formula should look like and how it’s going to work to safely and effectively boost everything from your infant’s digestive function to their immune system.
For those who are satisfied that this is the right route to go down to fully embellish their baby’s health, all you need to do is use our top 5 list to select a probiotic option that you feel is going to meet your baby’s needs the most effectively whether it’s a powder or a liquid. Select one of the products from our top 5 list now and enjoy every minute of watching your child grow up safely, happily, and most important of all, healthily.