Can You Ease Baby Colic With a Probiotic Formula?

Is a probiotic formula something you should think about in relieving baby colic? Maybe. Research shows that milk-based formula with supplemental probiotics worked wonderfully for lowering colic outbursts in little ones. But more about that later. First, you may be curious as to exactly what probiotic means.

Probiotics...what are they?

The body consists of numerous bacteria along with other microorganisms. As you may know, a number of bacteria can be harmful and trigger disease and infection. However, quite a few bacteria are advantageous and vital to help your body work effectively.

A probiotic is actually a supplement or types of foods that are just like those good bacteria which appear normally in your system. Various samples of food that contain probiotics are:

-some types of cheese
-yogurt
-some pickles
-sauerkraut
-fermented milk

Medical experts are intrigued by evidence that suggests when probiotics are consumed as supplements or in food, they seem to effectively treat conditions like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), intestinal infections, infant eczema, infectious diarrhea, along with issues, as well as improve a person's all-around health. Probiotics seem to particularly help out with digestive issues.

You have probably heard advertisements for Dannon's Activia and how it can make you more "regular". Activia is a lowfat yogurt which contains a probiotic. You will find many people who recommend eating Activia mainly because of its health benefits.

Baby colic and probiotics

Medical experts aren't certain what triggers colic. Yet, some believe the culprit to be an immature digestive system that does not perform the right way. The baby may have more trouble processing complex enzymes. Consequently, their digestive system can become irritated, which may lead to serious pain and fussiness. Or, as with individuals that are somewhat lactose intolerant, milk protein found in the formulas could make the little one become gassy and bloated which also can cause severe discomfort. This discomfort may be what leads to the incredible bouts of crying and screaming associated with colic.

Probiotics, being that they are recognized to assist in issues with the digestive system, may help introduce good bacteria into a baby's system and calm that immature digestive tract. For example, a 2004 John Hopkins study discovered that a probiotic formula lowered the frequency of colic in infants who were given a milk-based formula containing probiotic bacteria.

So, it was not surprising when food-giant Nestle became the first to come out with their Good Start Natural Cultures formula which contains Bifidus BL??a probiotic much like that present in breast milk. (Keep in mind, should you be nursing your baby, your breast milk is a natural supply of probiotics and your infant should not need a supplemental probiotic. Like saying goes, breast is best.). However, if you do need to feed your baby a formula, you might want to check out Good Start Natural Cultures.

Probiotics side effects

Adverse reactions from probiotics are few, and if they do manifest, are mostly mild. Some individuals may suffer digestive difficulties like gas and bloating. However, in more uncommon circumstances, people with underlying health problems have developed conditions as a result of the probiotics stimulating their immune system in a negative way. So, make sure to seek advice from your physician should you be thinking of switching your infant to a probiotic formula simply to be secure and safe.