Best Probiotics For Babies & Infants
Medically reviewed by: In this probiotics for babies guide, I will be conducting my own analysis of recent medical research to figure out if probiotics a type of good bacteria can assist with digestive conditions like acid reflux, colic & diarrhea or not.
Whilst I don't have a baby of my own yet, I will be sharing 6 probiotic brands that I would recommend to your friends & family with infants based on the clinical studies of the strains, customer reviews, and my own expertise with probiotics.
Mommy's Bliss Probiotic Drops is a $26.99 probiotic supplement for infants and small children that contains 1 billion CFUs of Lactobacillus Rhamnosus GG. Mommy’s Bliss's CEO, Yasmin Kaderali claims their probiotics can help with colic and gas but this isn't based on clinical research. It is often used for strengthening the digestive and immune systems of a baby. They have a 4.5 out of 5-star rating from over 10,000 customer reviews.
It comes in bottles of 10 ml which is enough for 30 servings with a single serving of 5 drops. Mommy’s Bliss Probiotic Drops are manufactured in Italy for MOM Enterprises Inc, a US-based company that also sells various other health supplements and probiotics for both adults and also kids for which I wrote a separate guide for.
Mommy’s Bliss Probiotic Drops is a 100% vegan product and is free from gluten, sucrose, artificial flavors & colors, dairy, yeast, soy, parabens, and alcohol. These drops are for everyday use, and one also has the option to buy another version of the drops that also contain vitamin D.
Culturelle Baby Grow is a $28.49 probiotic supplement for infants in the 0-12 months age group that contains 2.5 billion CFUs of two different probiotic strains. It contains Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) and Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis. Both these strains have been studied for decades and are known to help with various digestive issues. This probiotic has an impressive 4.6 out of 5-star rating from 9,500+ US-based customer reviews.
Each serving of 5 drops also contains 10mcg or 400 IU of Vitamin D3 may with growth in infants and also make bones stronger. Culturelle Baby Grow probiotics is free from most common allergens such as peanuts, soy, dairy, wheat, egg, and tree nuts, and is classified as a vegan and non-GMO product.
A single bottle of these probiotic drops contains 9 ml of the probiotic blend which is enough for approximately 30 servings. Culturelle is known for its high-quality probiotics and these drops can be bought from various supermarkets, pharmacies, and e-commerce sites such as Amazon. Purchasing through their website gives you a 60-day money-back guarantee.
BioGaia Protectis Probiotic Drops priced at $26.99 are manufactured and marketed by BioGaia, a US-based company that specializes in health and wellness supplements and is known for its wide range of probiotics that help you maintain your gut health. They are rated 4.6 out of 5 stars from 11,600+ genuine customer reviews. Dr. Jason Hawrelak who did his Ph.D. on areas of gastrointestinal microbiota has recommended the BioGaia brand in a podcast before.
BioGaia Protectis Probiotic Drops contain 100 million CFUs of Lactobacillus reuteri Protectis, the same strain that is naturally found in breast milk. Some studies show that Lactobacillus reuteri Protectis is especially useful in assisting with digestive issues such as colic, diarrhea, and regurgitation in infants and small children.
There is also preliminary evidence to suggest that this particular probiotic strain can also ease abdominal pain and constipation in infants. BioGaia Protectis Probiotic Drops also include vitamin D as some studies suggest that taking probiotics with vitamin D can increase the efficacy of probiotics.
Garden of Life is well known for its high-quality probiotics, multivitamins, and health supplements. Garden of Life Baby Probiotics is a USDA-certified organic blend of 7 different probiotic strains with each serving containing 4 billion CFUs of these strains.
The probiotic currently on sale for $19.99 contains Bifidobacterium infantis Bi-26, Bifidobacterium bifidum Bb-06, Bifidobacterium longum Bl-05, Bifidobacterium lactis Bl-04, Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, Lactobacillus acidophilus La-14, and Lactobacillus reuteri 1E1 that have all been clinically studied but not in infants.
Each of these strains has been carefully selected after studying their efficacy in assisting various digestive ailments that affect children. These probiotics are often used for colic and gas. This baby probiotic has a 4.5 out of 5-star rating from over 900+ customers.
Garden of Life Baby Probiotics comes in a bottle of 56 ml with a serving size of 2 ml. A bottle contains 28 servings and can be bought at various retailers, e-commerce sites, or directly from the company’s site. It doesn’t contain any known allergens and is certified as a vegan, gluten-free, and non-GMO product.
Mary Ruth’s Infants Liquid Probiotic priced at $25.95 is a proprietary probiotic for infants and toddlers aged 6 to 12 months & contains 4 different gram positive strains of live probiotics bacteria. It’s a 100% plant-based, certified organic, product that is free from common allergens such as gluten, soy, dairy, or wheat and is also classified as a non-GMO product. The probiotic was released recently so only has around 100 customer reviews giving it a 4.5 out of 5 star rating.
It should also be noted that they don’t have any specific dosage recommendation for children under the age of 1 as dosage changes depending upon the age of a child. You should consult your pediatrician about the ideal dose for your baby before administering these drops. Mary Ruth's infant probiotic contains B Lactis, B Infantis, B Bifidum and L Reuteri.
Gerber Good Start Soothe Comforting Probiotic Drops is a probiotic supplement for infants and toddlers that contains 100 million CFUs of Lactobacillus Reuteri Protectis, the probiotic naturally found in breast milk. These probiotic drops can help you reduce the symptoms of colic, and spit-ups and are also a good choice for maintaining digestive health and strengthening immune system of your baby.
Each bottle contains 0.34 fl oz of the probiotic blend and each serving also contains vitamin A, D, E, K and several other minerals that are essential for your baby’s growth. The Gerber probiotic has 4.6 out of 5 stars from 6100+ US based consumers. Gerber claim to have a 60 day refund policy but it's unclear if this also stands for people who have already opened and tried the probiotic.
Probiotics For Colic
If you notice your baby crying more than usual for extended periods this could be a sign that something is wrong. If it's nothing serious, it's often caused by something called Colic which some research suggests is caused by a blockage in the intestines that leads to painful distension. The researchers analyzed six studies involving 1886 infants.
An analysis titled "Probiotics to prevent infantile colic" was carried out by medical researchers from England UK. They defined colic as persistent crying for at least 3 hours per day for 3 days per week although these time frames are often different. Their hypothesis was that colicky infant's imbalances in intestinal bacteria versus non colicky infants.
The probiotic strains analyzed were Lactobacillus Reuteri DSM, Lactobacillus Rhamnosus, Lactobacillus Paracasei & Bifidobacterium Animalis that included taking the probiotics during pregnancy and also after birth. The conclusions were that the probiotic bacteria studied could not prevent infantile colic but versus placebo, L. Reuteri DSM, could reduce crying time. Further research on other probiotic strains was needed to draw conclusions.
Probiotics For Infant Acid Reflux
According to the NHS, reflux in babies is very common with up to 40% of infants in the first four months of their life and usually gets better at around 12 months of age. Signs your baby has acid reflux may include vomiting baby milk not long after feeding time but coughing, hiccuping, crying, and not gaining weight are also symptoms.
In January 2022, Doctor Jann Foster a midwife with 30 years of experience from Western Sydney University published her meta-analysis on the use of probiotics for infant regurgitation in the Maternal & Child Nutrition Journal. Her original analysis was on 6 different randomized placebo-controlled trials that looked at the potential prevention & treatment of probiotics but this further cut down to just 3. One study not listed in the analysis listed B. infantis Bb-02, B. lactis Bb-12, and S. thermophilus TH-4 probiotic bacteria.
In the conclusion of her analysis, it was stated that efficacy probiotics for infant regurgitation could neither be refuted nor supported which is frustrating. Looking through the meta-analysis she did however confirm that versus placebo, 1 Million CFU of Lactobacillus Reuteri DSM 17938 & L. Reuteri ATCC 55730 both showed a statistical & significant reduction in infants with regurgitation taken on their own.
Are Probiotics Safe For Infants?
In all of the research referenced in this probiotics for infants guide, no adverse side effects were reported from probiotic use suggesting that Lactobacillus & Bifidobacteria is safe for healthy infants. It is however vital to mention that the infants in the study were all in good health and that Saccharomyces probiotic yeast has not been studied extensively in infants and should be avoided.
Probiotics should not be used in immunocompromised, premature or with any other illness according to our in-house midwife Kritti Jai. It's often a good idea for a mother to start taking probiotic supplements during pregnancy and then again from 38 weeks gestation up to 36 months of age. Always consult with a Pediatrician first before giving your infant probiotics.
What Probiotic To Choose Your Baby?
The probiotic supplements listed in this guide all come from reputable manufacturers that use FDA-approved ingredients and have thousands of happy customer reviews. The best idea is to choose a probiotic that has been studied for a condition you are looking for assistance with. Also be careful of any potential allergens like gluten, wheat, soy, and peanuts.
Specific strains of Lactobacillus Reuteri at 1 million Colony Forming Units for example were shown to potentially help with Colic and Acid Reflux by modulating the gut microbiome. Some other individual strains of Bifidobacteria and Lactobacillus may also be beneficial. The most important thing to look out for when choosing a probiotic supplement is clinically studied individual strains in the ingredients.
Closing Thoughts: Research Suggests Probiotics Are Usually Safe!
The most important thing I discovered from my analysis was that most Lactobacillus & Bifidobacteria is safe and effective for healthy infants. If your baby is immuno-compromised, premature, or has any serious bowel conditions then do not give them any probiotics.
Saccharomyces Boulardii a type of probiotic yeast is lacking in clinical research it's also best to avoid this probiotic strain even in healthy infants until more research is carried out. Try and stick with a CFU count of around 1 billion and never give your infant an adult probiotic supplement with a higher CFU count.
Remember, you don't always have to give your baby probiotic supplements and instead can use fermented foods like yogurt and kefir milk to nourish a healthy microbiome for your baby. The content in this blog post is not medical advice, I am not a Doctor and you should first consult with your Doctor before your give your baby probiotics.