Colic? Acid Reflux? Probiotics Can Help Your Baby Through These Problems

A probiotic-rich diet is good for you and your baby; these good bacteria strengthen your little one’s immune system and may reduce some common ailments.

Breastfeeding mothers probably know that maintaining a healthy diet can mean a lot for what their child receives through breast milk. If you’re curious, What To Expect has it all laid out, with everything from how much protein and vitamin C you should consume to which foods you should watch out for.

In addition to those mentioned above, also consider adding probiotics to your or your baby’s diet. Probiotics are the “good bacteria”, the ones that help keep your gut healthy and contribute to a well-functioning immune system. You can find them in foods like yogurt and sourdough bread, or you can take them as pills.

Why give your baby probiotics? A baby is born with essentially no gut bacteria, and gains them through breast milk and eventually solid foods, according to this article by Mommy edition. A healthy gut is key to a healthy immune system, as your “gut wall houses 70 percent of the cells that make up your immune system,” says an article by Dr. Mark Hyman of EcoWatch. Adding probiotics to your baby’s diet may boost his or her immune system from a very early age, especially for C-sectioned babies who did not get exposure to mommy’s vaginal bacteria.

Here are just a few of the benefits of a diet including probiotics, from the article by Mommy Edition mentioned above.

• Bye bye colic. The probiotic lactobacillus reuteri helps balance the good and bacteria in the intestinal tract as well as reduces inflammation. This may lead to reduced gassiness, and a less upset baby.

• Reduce acid reflux. Babies supplemented with Lactobacillus reuteri were less likely to spit up and show symptoms of reflux compared to infants who were not supplemented.

• Reduce the likelihood of allergies. According to a study published in the journal Clinical and Experimental Allergies, babies with fewer strains of bacteria in their guts were more likely to develop allergies to foods like milk, eggs, and peanuts by the time they reached one year of age.