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Researchers now support what I’ve believed for over a decade—that probiotics
can benefit babies with colic. A recent study reported in the New
York Times found that colicky babies had gastrointestinal
inflammation in the gut and traces of a bacterium that would have promoted
it. Babies
without colic had no inflammation and a greater diversity
of beneficial bacteria.
Unfortunately, about 20 percent of all babies suffer from colic, and it
can stem from several different causes – hormones in milk, allergies,
even stress in the womb. But scientists are now zeroing in on relief. A
study conducted by the National Institutes of Health in 2009, found a
direct correlation between the symptoms of colic and fewer strains of
microflora in their intestines.
Likewise, a 2007 study by Italian researchers examined
83 colicky, breast-fed babies.
Over a 28-day period,
some infants were given simethicone to reduce gas, while
the others were given a supplement containing L. reuteri,
a beneficial bacteria often found in yogurt. At
the end of the study, the babies who got the probiotic
cried an average of only 51 minutes a day, compared with
2 ½ hours for the other babies in the group.
What should you look for in a probiotic for fussy infants?
Ideally, it should contain four
billion active cultures per gram, and be a healthy
mix of Bifidobacteria and Lactobacillus. It should
also contain five viable strains of beneficial bacteria,
including essential B. infantis. Finally, it should
be able to mix easily with formula, juice, milk or other
liquids, and have a pleasant taste.
Yours in Health,
Brenda Watson, CNC |
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