Best Probiotics For Children (And How to Give It to Them)

These probiotics for children reduce respiratory tract infections, diarrhea, colic, and even tooth decay. Find out where to get it and how to use it.

These probiotics for children reduce respiratory tract infections, diarrhea, colic, and even tooth decay. Find out where to get it and how to use it.

Over 70% of our immune system resides in our gut (source). Additionally, this study shows that the gut microbiome can influence our brain chemistry and a wide range of behaviors from depression to anxiety to pain perception. So it makes sense that we want to optimize our gut flora to prevent sickness and feel healthy and happy.

That’s why I’m loving the research around these probiotics for children that are getting a lot of attention. It’s called L. reuteri.

Research on these probiotics for children

Researchers tested 336 healthy children ages 6 months to 3 years who were attending daycare centers in Mexico City. Half received a daily supplement of Lactobacillus reuteri, a beneficial gut bacterium naturally present in many foods and in most people; the other half got an identical placebo.

Less diarrhea, fewer respiratory infections

During the study, there were nearly one third fewer episodes of diarrhea in the probiotic group when compared to the placebo. Furthermore, the placebo group had more than double the respiratory tract infections compared with those taking L. reuteri. The differences persisted during the 12-week follow-up.

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Infant colic

Lactobacillus reuteri has also proven to be an effective treatment against infant colic. Over a period of several weeks, infants given L. reuteri steadily decrease the amount of time each day spent crying by over 50%. In fact, it was much better in decreasing the infants’ crying time than the standard therapy of simethicone treatment. There was also a reduction in E. Coli and ammonia found in their stool.

Here’s more information on probiotics for babies.

Tooth decay

L. reuteri may also boost dental health; in studies it was the only strain that killed Streptococcus mutans, a bacterium responsible for tooth decay. 

So, we might all benefit from a daily dose of L. reuteri but especially babies and kids! It’s proven to be safe and effective.

Where to get probiotics for children & how to administer

Here are some L. reuteri supplements you can try:

  • Powder L. reuteri supplement that can be given to young children. You can mix with breast milk and administer with a syringe –> See product here
  • Tiny tablets that are easy to swallow (for children 3+) –> See product here
  • Chewable tablets for kids 2+ –> See product here (FYI: the company is associated with Gerber. I only share because it’s the only pure L. reuteri on market.)

What I’m doing about probiotics for children

I’ve ordered the L. reuteri powder and plan on giving to Paloma and Griffin a few times a week. I’m surprised that this strain wasn’t included in the other probiotic supplements I currently give them like this one. Keep in mind that we have ~ 100 trillion microorganisms in our intestines. This is 10X (!) the total number of human cells in the body. So, I don’t have a problem giving my kids ample probiotics.

How about YOU?

What are your favorite probiotics for children? Have you ever tried L. reuteri? Share with us in the comments below!

Genevieve Howland

About the Author

Genevieve Howland is a doula and childbirth educator. She is the bestselling author of The Mama Natural Week-by-Week Guide to Pregnancy and Childbirth and creator of the Mama Natural Birth Course. A mother of three, graduate of the University of Colorado, and YouTuber with over 135,000,000 views, she helps mothers and moms-to-be lead healthier and more natural lives.

133 Comments

  1. Hi the link for the powder isn’t working. Can you delink if give me the name of the probiotic? Thanks!

    • Re link it or **

      • Same! Link for powder is not working.

  2. Hi is this the current probiotics? I know many new ones come in the market

  3. Hi!
    Do you give your kids both the Flora probiotics and the reuteri? If so, how often do you do this?

  4. I started using Florajen Probiotics for myself and I had such a good reaction that I started my kids on them and it’s amazing. I usually just open the capsule and pour it in a smoothie or their morning orange juice. I’ve seen such a huge improvement in their overall health especially now that they’re back in school and now would be the time they would be getting sick all the time.

  5. My baby is 6 years old and I introduced Florajen Probiotic for Kids to his diet about 6 months ago cause he was having some constipation issues, it’s the worst seeing your baby suffering from that kind of problem 🙁
    Ever since he started taking florajen along with an appropriate better diet his constipation is no longer an issue!

  6. My 7yo daughter chronically complains about pains in her stomach along with constipation. Ive been giving her probiotics for awhile now. I just read your article and want to give this strain a try. Can she take this BioGaia along with her other probiotics that do not have this strain? Curious your thoughts. Thank you!

    • I don’t see why that would be an issue, check with her provider to be sure.

  7. Probiotics are friendly bacteria that live naturally in the gut to help maintain a balanced intestinal and digestive environment. Probiotics for children promote a beneficial balance of microflora in the intestinal tract, which supports a healthy gastrointestinal and immune system.
    Qiara Kids probiotics encourage good bacterial diversity to support optimal health and wellbeing.

  8. I got Gerber ones to try with my son when he was 2 months and they didn’t do anything. I’m wondering if I should try a different brand. Should I be giving him some?

  9. My baby has had INTENSE colic and reflux from week 2. I originally put my now 3 month old on when she was about 3 weeks old. It helped a bit. Later I was introduced to Dr. Ohira’s probiotics, which are created through a 3 or 5 year (there are two versions) fermentation process in Japan. These seem like the purest probiotics out there. When we switched her to these (the 3 year) she improved a bit again, but it was still pretty horrible. Then I went on the colic diet and started taking a enzyme from Standard Process and practically overnight she was cured. That lasted until about two weeks ago when she started crying in pain again. However, this time the pain was because poor little girl only poops about one every 5-10 days, depending on the week. To try to encourage her to poop now often we switched her over to the 5 year version, thinking it might help. Since then she had had horrible horrible gas which is causing her so much pain she can’t sleep, which is almost worse than the gas pain! I say all this to lead to the question: can some probiotics be too much for such a young baby? I’m thinking about switching her back to the Nature’s Way Reuteri. However, it contains milk and soy, which she’s very all allergic to. Any thoughts or recommendations?? I’m desperate.

    • Try Gerber Soothe, it has this strain but no dairy or soy– it helped us a lot and we were in the same exact boat

    • Try Dr Ppars tablets. It works for even the most sensitive stomach.

    • We used BioRay Shine which has a probiotic. No dairy and rice based.

    • The best company in my opinion is Optibac in the UK. They ship to the US and have multiple varieties for various concerns. We started my grand daughter on them from birth. They make a powder that can be mixed into any drink. She has had significantly less illnesses than the other classmates. I have taken their everyday product as well as others. They do a lot of research which makes me feel safe with them.

    • What your child only poops once every 5 to 10 days. And u haven’t taken her to a doctor? U can’t be freaking serious. Ok so maybe you don’t have to take her to a doctor but that’s only if u know how to ease her ailments. My daughter as a baby at some point didn’t have irregularities either. Didn’t understand why though. Never gave her formula. But anyway she was in horrible pain one day after not pooping for 5 days. She tried but couldn’t. I rushed her to the doctor and thank God they relieved her and made her poop. It was painful for her but it had to be done to stop her pain. After she pooped they told me of a few items I could give her, One was Kyro syrup, codliver oil which is disgusting to swallow but result within 30 minutes. She even threw up from the taste. If u use just give them something to drink right after to kill the taste or mix it in small amount of liquid. Other treatment was a liquid that is squeeze in the anus (forgot the name). All these are good for immediate relief. I guess in your case you are looking for long term use. All I know is that my daughter who was still a baby about 6 months I think or younger she was better after all those treatments. She’s 11 yrs now and has no problem since. The codliver oil I think is what really did the trick. Everything that was backed up in her stomach came out

      • Hi, sorry to jump into your comment but babies with exclusive breastfed can sometimes have bowel movements every 10 days or for some infants, they poop twice in a month. Your babies will feel uncomfortable but it is absolutely normal for babies with exclusive breastfeeding. Probiotics and routine tummy massage would help your babies.

    • Try colic calm it works!!!

  10. My daughter has autism, apraxia of speech, and other health issues. We have tried probiotics in the past and she had meltdowns all day long while on them. Now we are giving her an antibiotic x 10 days to rule out SIBO. After that, we are to retry probiotics. Any recommendations on which strain/kind of probiotic to try? I am very nervous to retry them, but recognize their importance in my sweetie’s health. Thanks!

    • When I started taking probiotics it make me grumpy and sick feeling for weeks. Give them slowly. I could only take 1/2 every other day, then every day. After a few weeks I tried 1. I had to go back to the half. Maybe your child is experiencing this. When your gut is filled with yeast overgrowth from years of your diet or medications it’s rough on your body to clean it up. And remember Sugar feeds the bad stuff so diet change helps as well. My son is 6 and has autism. I just started him on a prebiotic and probiotic. He was vomiting today and has loose stools. That tells me to slow down to half tablet. (I felt so bad!) I’m not sure why I even gave him a full tablet?! My other kids do fine on them since starting 4 days ago. After antibiotics you’ll want to get probiotics back in their little bodies. Good luck, stay persistent she will start feeling better!

      • Hi Stacie, I have 2 boys with autism (3 and 5). If you could please share which pre and probiotics you give your boys. Im looking to buy it for them but online theres a million options. ugh!

      • Hi. My grandson has autism. My cousin is really big in health and studying about things that your body could be producing to much of and /or not producing enough of. She talked a lot about your gut being the root of so many illnesses and how important keeping your gut healthy. Ok…my grandson has Excima really bad which I think is not at all unusual with autism. They bathe him with a TBSP of bleach in his bath water and use a prescription steroid ointment on the spots and rub him down with 100% patrolium jelly every day. They cannot use anything with any scent in it at all. My daughter and son in law were out of town so I had him. Sunday night his foot and ankle swelled quite big and was turning very red. I thought maybe he twisted his ankel. He was in bed so I elevated it and called the doctor first thing Monday morning and took him right in. The doctor said she thought it was possibly Cellulitis so she gave him a really strong harsh antibiotic and chewable probiotic tablets. There is no way he is going to put that tablet in his mouth! Those of you with children with autism know what I mean! Searching for something we could put in his juice or milk or something we could put in a medication sorenge. That’s how I ended up here. What are prebiotics? Which brand do you use? I am really curious to see if it helps with the autism. Thank you!

        • Earthley and MaryRuth both make liquid probiotics/gut support. You may want to check out Earthley and read their detox protocol.

  11. I wonder What kind would be best for an 11 year old? Any ideas?
    Pease don’t hesitate….
    Thank you.
    Reney

  12. Plexus has the best Probio5 has 5 strains, no refrigeration!! Has chitosanase to break thru the hard shell yeast best one out there!

  13. My 6 month old is having eczema and lately is being constipated from solid food. Am giving him biogaia probiotics but its doing nothing. Any suggestion of good probiotics for his eczema and constipation? Thank you

    • I agree! Plexus Probio5 has changed my son’s life! I am a believer!!

      • At what age did you start them on the ProBio5? Can it be added to their drink instead of swollowed?

        • Add it to applesauce or yogurt. It turns it purple:) kids love it!

      • I agree, my 3 yr old gets constipated once a month and we sprinkle some of the plexus pro bio 5 in her food like yogurt or fruit, and in her water or apple juice to get things going. It’s
        A game changer for us

  14. Hello- I started giving my 6 month old daughter probiotics and she started breaking out into a rash on her tummy almost immediately after. Do you think she’s detoxing? Or should I stop? Thanks!

    • Hi! My daughter had a similar reaction when she was about 5 months old and it happened to be one of the additives was dairy, which she was sensitive to. Found a vegan probiotic at whole foods and the rashes stopped! Good luck!

    • Hi there Alli. It can be a normal reaction. Probiotics help a lot when it comes to bowel movement and digesting of foods in an individual. Probiotics are already proven and tested you can check this out if you’re interested in some of the probiotics available in the market. No regrets this can help you to be an effective provider of healthy foods for your daughter 🙂

  15. How about Mommy’s bliss probiotics?? It contains Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG strain

  16. Hello mama natural,

    Thanks for the work. Im lil confuse here, my daughter is 2 year old and having dental issues. I want to start probiotics to her. I checked raw garden of life and fee more in kids probiotics. They do not have L rueteri. So you mean L rueteri is must and for other probiotics i should give any other common probiotics. So i need to get 2 different bottles right? If you have any good brand pls mention n dosage too. Thanks a ton

  17. Will probiotics help with eczema?

  18. How much of the Powder L. reuteri supplement would you give a 9 mo old in breast milk?

  19. I was told that any probiotic tablets have to be the refrigerated kind for the enzymes to be alive and therefore effective. What’s your viewpoint on that?

    • My understanding is that the ones that don’t need refrigeration are freeze dried. I don’t think this decreases their potency.

  20. I have a 19 month old that has been sick soo much lately, and I recently bought some probiotics to help but im unsure how much and how often to give it to him?

    • He will need about 5million CPU daily!

  21. Hi, Which probiotic do you all recommend for a 7 and 10 year old please? They both are autistic. Thanks!

    • Plexus probio5, it has five natural strains that are freeze dried , so it can easily go through the stomach acid and survive into the intestine. You can find a plexus rep basically anywhere! They can help you from there

    • Plexus, ProBio5 split a capsule between the two kids:) best stuff you can buy and affordable!

  22. I currently give my grandchildren the same probiotic that I take. Flourish by entegro is an artisanal crafted living probiotic. Flourish and Flourish Junior remain in their natural liquid state, providing live, vibrant cultures in their native environment, including their own prebiotics (food for probiotics). Flourish is an ultra-concentrated formulation that is more potent than yogurt, kefir, kombucha or other fermented food.

    The thing that I like most about flourish is the fact that it can be taken by anyone of any age. It can be taken during pregnancy, by nursing moms and infants, girls and ladies to help regulate their menstrual cycle, post-menopausal women experiencing hot flashes and mood swings. It helps with inflammation in men and women alike. Plus it’s safe for children and helps with immunity.

    This product is only about nine months old and it has been exciting to see it work.

    • Flourish is also intentionally free of:
      Dairy
      Gluten
      Soy
      GMOs
      Added sugars
      Artificial colors
      Artificial additives
      Glyphosate

    • What improvement did you see with flourish? I am considering it for my son with autism. thank you

  23. I’ve been using Raw garden of life for Kids for my baby since she was 6 months. Now I also use Little Duck Organics Gummies Probiotics (let me know what you think about these) I was hesitant because anything “gummy” seems fishy to me, but I put them in the fridge and they help with her teething. She is on her last molars so I might cut them out and just add in Goodbelly Oat drink shots (they have no added sugar). What do you think about good belly? She just turned 2!

  24. How much of the primadophulus reuteri by Natures Way would you recommend giving to a two month old. Doesn’t state it anywhere on the container and I can’t find it online. Thank you!

  25. I am exclusively breastfeeding my one week old. I’m worried about him contacting any colds since it is the fall/winter time. I am taking a probiotic pill, can I also give him a probiotic?

    • I used probiotics when breastfeeding my doctor actually recommended it.

    • I didn’t give them directly to my son it will pass in your milk, just like other nutrition your milk takes then your body gets leftovers.

      • Actually, probiotics don’t pass into your bloodstream, so they don’t pass into your milk. Baby will need his own.

  26. I don’t pump, only breastfeed my 6 month old. Could I mix the powder probiotic with spring water and give it to him in a syringe that way?

    • yes but just the very smallest amount of water

    • You can hand express right into it. 🙂

  27. So I’m testing out a probiotic we use for potency by placing it in 4oz of milk on the counter for 24-48hrs and see if it turns into yogurt or curdles. But someone I know who works at a vitamin place said that some probiotics won’t work in this test because they’re freeze dried and the probiotics that are freeze dried don’t react til it touches your bile. Is this true or is this a load of crap? I feel like this is a load of crap.

    • Some are indeed freeze-dried–but, that doesn’t make them unable to work until coming into contact with bile. You can buy packets of freeze-dried starter cultures marketed specifically for making yogurt, for goodness sakes! It seems he either doesn’t know what he’s talking about or is outright lying to you. :-/

  28. Been giving my son the tiny tablets. He is only 2 but he can swallow them. Should I give one everyday? He seems to be not quite himself the last two weeks and not sure if the probiotics are just a coincidence. Have you ever heard of an adjustment period or it making someone feel sick because it’s just too make for them? Been having my husband take them too, but he has also felt weird. What about only taking them every other day?

    • If your system is already pretty “off” and there are quite a few of the “bad” bacteria that will end up being killed off for the good guys to flourish, you can indeed go through a couple weeks of gas, bloating, and weird poop as the change-over takes place. Taking a smaller dose (less total cultures per serving) at first and then increasing the dose as tolerated is recommended. I’m not really sure if taking them every-other-day would work in the same way as taking less daily, but it’s certainly worth a try!

  29. Thanks Jennifer! I will look into that!

  30. Hi, I’m ordering the Flora probiotic and the powder you recommended for my children but I’m a bit ignorant as to how to use it. I love all your advice and tips and you have done so much for my health and my children. Although they won’t personally thank you for the cod liver oil (even if it is mixed with orange juice!) Just wondered:
    How often you give the two probiotics to your children?
    How do you give it to them – is it with food or drink?
    Is a certain time of the day best?
    What age did you start giving it to them?
    I have three children, aged three, one and newborn. I’m so lucky you do all the hard work and we reap the benefits! Thanks in advance for your reply. Would love you to write a cookbook by the way! X
    Aa

  31. What about using kefir as a source for probiotics?

  32. My 3 yr old has a pretty good guy. She has daily bowel movements. I am thinking of giving her probiotics for a few months prior to us traveling to Mexico for holiday. Last year she had come down with a bug there and it was terrible. Does anyone know if this would prevent travels diarrhea? Thanks

    • It couldn’t hurt!

    • The most clinically proven probiotic for preventing “traveler’s diarrhea” is a strain called Saccharomyces Boularrdi. This is completely safe and beneficial to take daily and can be increased to 2-3 times daily if you end up dealing with intestinal upset. Several good brands come in powders that easily mix into drinks or yogurt which even my super-duper-picky eater drinks right down. I would suggest having the whole family start taking them daily for at least two weeks before the trip and continuing to take them throughout the trip (you can get capsules for the adults to take.) A couple of the powders we’ve tried for the kids that worked great and were eaten right up were “Nature’s Way Primadophilus Children” and “Florastor Kids” (which comes in single serving packets.) Good luck!

      • Oops! The “Nature’s Way” is a probiotic supplement we’ve used but it’s not one with saccharomyces. I should have said, “Garden of Life – Primal Defense Kids” and “Florastor Kids”. 😉

  33. We found that we LOVE Endomune Jr – and we love Dr. Hoberman who formulated the product. We recommend to all our customers at healthiest.io – use healthiest20 to get 20% off and keep your little guys healthy!

  34. Just picked up a probiotic for my 2 yr old, but now reading it it says 4yrs and older.. Should I not give it to her?

  35. We use klaire lab probiotics for infants for our daughter who has a milk and soy protein intolerance and has battled colic along with vomiting, diarrhea, and constipation. It runs right around $30, but lasts a while and had been an absolute godsend!

  36. I have a six month old who is battling constant ear infections now with cutting teeth. He is usually a pretty happy baby and has been miserable lately. We have been getting regular adjustments with the chiropractor and he suggested a probiotic. There are so many different types. Was wondering everyones thoughts. I also have a 6 year old and 3 year old so I am also thinking about putting them on one as well.

  37. Hi MamaNatural!
    I just received the L. reuteri supplement you recommended and noticed that it says it contains milk and soy protein…should I be concerned about this since I know soy is a big no no?

    Thanks so much! Love your posts!

    • No, it is such a small amount. You should be fine. Xoxo!

  38. Probiotics have been proven to treat and prevent a number of gut problems and infections among adults. Now, probiotic supplements are being formulated to benefit children as well. If you’re a parent, you know you’re feeling reserved about whether your kids need a good bacteria boost at an early age.

  39. My grandson is three months old. He has been having severe bouts of colic and A red bottom! Just not a happy boy because he feels miserable so much of the time! My daughter has cut many things out of her diet that she thinks may be affecting him ( dairy, wheat, eggs, nuts, sugar, spices and gassy vegetables,… ) It has helped some, but something more is needed! I picked up a refrigerated probiotic for infants at our food co-op, (renew life ultimate flora for infants) I gave him only one fourth of the recommended dose to start with, and by that evening, it made him absolutely miserable! Screaming, arching his back, tight fists, and a red bottom again! Was it too many strains? Not the right ones? Is he too young for a probiotic? Might it be normal to go through a detox.? Our little guy needs help!

    • Introducing probiotics can be tricky. It sounds like it could be a die-off effect but there are so many variables I couldn’t tell you for sure. An IBCLC may be able to help you, or a naturopath.

    • I guess renew life ultimate flora is too many strains for such a small kid. Look for less strains may be biogaya.

    • My son was the same way.
      I eliminated dairy, soy, and nuts out of my diet while nursing him and once he was interested in table food I kept dairy, soy, nuts and all grains out of his diet.
      I found a probiotic for him that doesn’t contain dairy or soy.
      it was a night and day difference for my child.

      • Brittany, can you tell me which probiotic you went with? Having the same problems with my 4 month old and don’t know which one to buy. Thanks!

        • They Klaire Labs infant probiotics

          • Yes, Claire Labs

    • That contains milk and soy protein. If he’s really sensitive to those things, that’s probably why.

  40. Thanks for this! I am going to order both the infant probiotic you are already giving and the L Reuteri natures way. Can I give both at the same time? How did you figure out dosage for kids under 2? My littlest guy is only 13 months. Thanks!

  41. I just ordered the Nature’s Way powdered Primadophilus Reuteri probiotic that you recommended from Amazon. I received it and it was not refrigerated and I wonder if the cultures are now mostly dead?

    • It’s probably ok. They can usually withstand a few days unrefrigerated.

      • The powder version ingredients say it is a “blend”. Is a blend what makes up the L. Reuteri ?

  42. The best probiotics that I found so far are the ones from garden of life. They have different ones del ding on your sex and age. My daughter, now 3, takes kids one since she was 4 months old and she still takes it. It’s a powder so you can mix it with milk, yogurt, juice, etc.

  43. I unfortunately was unable to breastfeed my three month old. She has been strictly formula since she was one month. We tried out a few different formulas but ended up going with Gerber Good Start Soothe because it has L. reuteri probiotics in it. She was also colicky and this helped tremendously. I took probiotics throughout my pregnancy and I believe she needs it in her system now that she is not getting it from me. I am anxious to see how this helps her in the future! Thanks Mama Natural!

  44. I was just looking into this probiotic again, remembering you had posted about it, and I’m curious what you think about patented or possibly modified bacterial strains…it seems like L. Reuteri often is.

  45. Can you give your baby too many probiotics? I think my 8 month old just poops all of the time. It’s not runny or smelly, just sometimes poops 4 or more times a day. Maybe he is getting too much? He is exclusively on breast milk, I take probiotics and drink kombuch regularly, but then if I also give to him every day is that too much? However, I’m afraid to stop as we are experimenting with solid foods and I don’t want him to get constipated either.

    • I give my 8 month old who is fully breast fed 2-4 ounces of Goat Milk Kefir a day.
      I also drink kefir myself since its a great source of probiotics and provides the extra vitamins and minerals our body needs.
      My daughter too has 4-5 (non smelly or runny) dirty diapers a day and she is fine Doctor states it’s normal.
      If your concerned about too much pooping maybe just cut back on the amounts of probiotics you are giving.
      Instead of the full amount give half the amount.
      But I’m sure your fine probiotics are good for u and your baby?

  46. What quantity of culturelle probiotics can I give my 1 yr old

  47. Does the first one you recommended come in an ice pack from Amazon?

  48. Hi Mama Natural,
    I got this probiotic to give to my 3 week old daughter. Unfortunately she was born a c-section and I am unable to breast feed her. Long story short I am very disappointed by this and feel like she’s behind in gut health now! How often do you think I should give this to her? I gave it to her yesterday and I feel like it made her gassy… When you give it to your kids did you notice a difference in them? Any advice is appreciated! Thanks!

  49. I ordered the Infant Formula probiotic you provided a link to for my daughter and was sad to see it contains maltodextrin! Bummer!

  50. I know I’m echoing a few of the comments above, but I’m not interested in kefir specifically.

    I am wondering about ALL the kinds of foods in which L. reuteri is naturally present. Thank you! 🙂

  51. At what point would you start??

  52. I have been using Reuteri Probiotics for 2 weeks with my 4 month old daughter. She has been suffering from a persistent yeast diaper rash for 2 months (I think caused by antibiotics I got in labor for being Strep B positive). She needed probiotics to boost her immune system to beat this yeast rash and when I read reviews about reuteri helping eczema too, I was thrilled. It mixes easily with breast milk and I give it to her with a medicine dropper. Her rash and skin are doing so much better! I am so so so glad I found this probiotic.

    • Which one do you use exactly and how much for you’re infant? My daughter is 7 weeks and I believe she is having the exact same problem kicking this dang yeast diaper rash! I too got antibiotics for strep B in the hospital!

  53. I went and checked out the first brand…the powder form and in its’ description it says that it contains the same chain of bacteria that is passed along from mom to child through breast milk…..if you are breastfeeding, why would you need this?

  54. Mama Natural thank you for posting great information. I’m researching probiotics now for my LO; however, what is the product you give to Griffin when he has a cold/congestion? I remember you showing it on a video but I can’t remember which video. Thanks in advance

  55. Our doctor recommend giving our boy probiotics for when he was taking antibiotics. We got the Garden of Life one for him. When we run out, I’ll have to look for the L. Reuteri. As always, thanks for e share!

  56. My 3-week old developed colic. I was already giving her probiotics from birth (the Claire Labs brand). After a month of screaming 6-8 hours a day I discovered L. Reuteri. Gerber sells the bio Gaia brand in the US as gerber colic soothe. 4 hours after giving my child the 5 drops recommended, the colic stopped! She is 10 weeks now, and hardly ever cries.

  57. Thanks for the tip! I just ordered some from Amazon for my boys. My question is, do you and your husband take this as well or is there a brand that you prefer? We currently all take the Garden of Life brand but it seems like we all get “used” to it.

    Thanks for all the amazing tips 🙂

    • Hi Nicky,

      Was just researching on l. reuteri and reassuring myself about its safety. (I don’t like how it has MCT and sunflower oil.) It really looks like it works, and I’d already purchased it, so I just went ahead and tried it, and my 2-week-old fell right asleep and started acting so much more calm. I am excited to see going forward how this works.

      Just wanted to make a recommendation on a probiotic. I don’t like Garden of Life, because it has a yeast called s. bouldardii. If you want the same benefit of the soil probiotics it has, I recommend Prescript-Assist, which has helped me to get out of a severe autoimmunity disorder that was triggered by environmental poisons and allergies. Now it is much mitigated, and I’ve paired it with l. glutamine. Symptoms have gotten so much better. Please heed this advice, because this combo has worked wonders. I pair the P.A. probiotic with some magnesium, too, because it has tons of minerals your body needs a little help to process. Ok, that’s all!

      -Rob

      • Would you recommend this for a 4 year old? If so, what dosage?

  58. I give my 5 month old Garden of Life RAW probiotics for kids…..it’s great! He loves getting to use the spoon (it’s powered) and it has helped his gas SOOOOO much. Not to mention he has now been in day care for about two months and hasn’t been sick…..buuuut…..I think I may let my milk take most of the credit on that one 😉

  59. How much should my 12week old take?

    • how many times a day?

  60. I am kind of hesitant to try on my 14 month old. I don’t understand the probiotics thing.

    • your immune system is 70% your gut and it has good bacteria and bad bateria. When you take antibiotics it kills all bacteria the good stuff too. your body needs good bacteria to digest your food. On the wall of your intestines is something called villi it’s like little fingers that extract all the nutrients from the food to nourish your body. hope this helps a little.

      • sometimes you experience gas, discomfort, bloating because you don’t have enough of the good guys aka probiotics to break down the protiens in the food.

  61. What about the brand BioGaia? I’ve heard good things about it.

    • I read the study and Bio Gaia is the brand used in the study.

  62. How much would you give an infant? 1 teaspoon is what it calls for but is that too much?

    • In the Mexico City study referenced in this blog parents were instructed to give 2-4 drops of the solution to children 6-36 month old.

    • Do you know how many times a day for a 4 month old?

  63. I should give Aiden more probiotics! We don’t eat much dairy. I do, however, give him cod liver oil daily. I take a probiotic daily and still breastfeed too.

  64. When you order that probiotic from Amazon, does it stay refrigerated? I have a problem buying non-refrigerated pro-biotics because I fear all the organisms are dead.

  65. I’m going to make your sore nipple remedy. Will this one be good to use for that?

  66. Is there a cultured food that does contain it? Probiotics can get expensive.

  67. I live in South Africa and this strain is in every probiotic I’ve looked at here. Its the most popular one. We do use it when we’re battling some illness, but after reading this, I may start giving it every day. There’s a chewable one here that my 4 year old and 3 year old eat happily. I crush it up for my 1 year and give it to him in his food.

  68. I wonder if that is one of the many strains in home made kefir? We drink that all the time 🙂

    • Kefir typically doesn’t. It contains the following bacterias/yeasts:

      Bacteria:
      Lactobacillus acidophilus
      Lactobacillus brevis
      Lactobacillus casei
      Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus
      Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. delbrueckii
      Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. lactis
      Lactobacillus helveticus
      Lactobacillus kefiranofaciens subsp. kefiranofaciens
      Lactobacillus kefiri
      Lactobacillus paracasei subsp. paracasei
      Lactobacillus plantarum
      Lactobacillus rhamnosus
      Lactobacillus sake
      Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris
      Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis
      Lactococcus lactis
      Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. cremoris
      Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. dextranicum
      Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. mesenteroides
      Pseudomonas
      Pseudomonas fluorescens
      Pseudomonas putida
      Streptococcus thermophilus

      Yeasts:
      Candida humilis
      Kazachstania unispora
      Kazachstania exigua
      Kluyveromyces siamensis
      Kluyveromyces lactis
      Kluyveromyces marxianus
      Saccharomyces cerevisiae
      Saccharomyces martiniae
      Saccharomyces unisporus

      • Thanks! I hear that the exact strains vary greatly between different populations of grains (lol) but on Dom’s kefir site, his list doesnt show reuteri either, darn. So I’d guess it’s not typically found, I wonder if one could add a little reuteri powder to the kefir as it fermented and if the grains would pick that strain up? Anyway, I was going to ask if there are any whole fermented/cultered foods that contain this strain? I’m not one for giving any type of processed supplement, and most of the pro-biotic supplements on the market don’t make it past the stomach anyway and are basically useless. We do believe in fermented cod liver oil though! (there’s something I’ve always wondered- it’s fermented, so does it contain probiotics, and if so, which one’s?) 🙂

        • I would really like to know the answer to the above questions as well! 🙂

      • I spoke with a representative from Lifeway and actually the ProBugs does not contain reuteri. BUT many of their other products do contain the L. reuteri, such as the Lifeway Low Fat Kefir. I buy the strawberry Low Fat Kefir for my son and the ProBugs. 🙂

      • We have been giving my son Kefir probiotics mixed with his almond milk every morning since he turned one. We tried giving him the kids culturelle, but it seems to give him frequent, loose bowel movements and diaper rash. We continue to use Kefir. Any ideas on a better probiotic for him?

      • Hi Coconut Momma, What probiotic would you recommend for a child who can’t have dairy, soy, or nuts? Specially one that contains all the strains needed for a healthy immune system.

  69. I guess you may not eat dairy, I”m not sure, but is this type of bacteria present in kefir?


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