probiotics and kids??

[ryedalema]

This hadn't occurred to me before (having given our 2 and 5 year olds those little Actimel yoghurt bottles for a while now) but my OH has just turned around and said that probiotics are bad for children.

Does anyone know?

Am clueless on this one - and will miss those handy little bottles :)

[Saffron]

On what evidence is he basing his assertion?

[Saffron]

Ok, so a very quick google scholar search appears to show that the consensus is that probiotics may not prevent infectious gastrointeritis (jury is still out on prophylaxis essentially), but they do show that they may reduce the duration of infectious diarrhea in infants and children.

A lot of prepackaged yogurts and probitic drinks have a high sugar content. If the rest of the child's diet is fine, I can't personally see how an actimel or yakult pot is a "bad" thing.

[Norfolkvillas]

My son, between 10months and 18months went through a phase of having one tummy bug after another. I'm sure part of it was just his age (starting to crawl = exposure to more germs + putting everything in his mouth) and the season (this would've been Sept through to the following spring / summer), but where his nannyshare partner would suffer for the normal 48 hours, my son would have horrendous nappies for 2 - 3 weeks each time. It was pretty grim for everyone. I started using a daily probiotic supplement at 18 months (the Udo's choice infant powder), and haven't looked back. He's now coming up to 3, and we've had maybe one or two very mild tummy upsets, which have lasted 24 hours or less...

Obv I can't prove the cause and effect, but the improvement was so immediate and so marked, that I can't help but think the probiotics were at least part of the reason. Would be interested to find out if there is any evidence against the use of probiotics for kids though.

[Undiscovered]

Probiotics were a lifesaver for us with our colicky baby - we used one called Biogaia from about 12 weeks til about 6 months, and it was a miracle. I has antibiotics in labour which we think killed her good bacteria (completely non-medical opinion!!).

We did stop but mainly cos of the cost(!) and being out of the colicky phase, plus my now 14 month has the constitution on an ox (famous last words - in 5 minutes nursery will call saying she has been sick). I would not hesitate to reintroduce if she had any more tummy issues.

The probiotic we used was infant specific though, and just 10 drops on a spoon (or in a bottle, if you were lucky enought to have a bottle willing child unlike me!). I also researched at the time, especially as she was so little, and could only find positive things on probiotics for kids, but thinking moves on so thats not to say theres no negative evidence out there - maybe I just didnt dig too deep?

[Sol]

Under 3 must not take actimel. I think I read it either in the packging or their website. Ocassionaly I give my 5 year old actimel.

[Saffron]

Surely that's just covering their arses for stupid liability cases, b/c the product research was not conducted on under-3s? It also doesn't conclusively mean that the product is "bad" for under-3s. And it certainly does not equate to ALL probiotics being "bad" for children. There is conclusive, peer-reviewed evidence (look it up for your selves, it's easy to find) that certain probiotics can shorten infant diarrhoea and replace gut flora lost to antibitic treatment.

[Saffron]

from - probioticsinpractice.ie

Actimel is not specially formulated to meet the nutritional requirements of infants or young children, so it is not recommended for those under 3 years old.

also- Actimel.co.uk

Actimel is suitable for everyone from age 3 upwards when consumed as part of a healthy balanced diet and lifestyle. It is not formulated to meet the specific nutritional requirements of an infant or young child. If you have any concerns about consuming Actimel we recommend that you talk to your GP.

See more on actimel/probiotics in general on Wikipedia.

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Well for comparison, Actimel's two main ingredients are the same as ice cream, ie dairy+sugar. For arguments sake, I'm fairly certain ice creams aren't specially formulated to meet the nutritional requirements of infants or young children, but we could debate till the proverbial cows come home whether ice cream is "bad" for children under 3 years old. Interesting, I don't know of any research to suggest that ice cream shortens diarrhoea or has other health benefits, though most of us have given ice cream to our young children!

There are probably other probiotic formulations that do not contain the sugar that Actimel does (incidentally, check out how much sugar is in yogurts specifically aimed at children!), which would make them more suitable for infants.

[Sol]

I don't think all probiotics are bad for children under 3, but they should be specially formulated, they are still developing. I remember when I was breastfeeding and drank actimel, my baby would get really upset with colic, there were other things that caused him colic, but the probiotic was the worse.