Probiotics are preparations containing strains of bacteria and fungi, helping to balance beneficial and harmful bacteria in the intestinal tract. They contribute to improving the immune system and resistance, limiting disease. There are many different probiotic preparations available. Depending on the ingredients and content of each type, parents can let their children drink it daily for about 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 1 month, 3 months, even a year according to the doctor’s advice.
Currently, there is no research showing that regular or long-term use of probiotics has side effects or adverse effects on children’s health. However, parents should note some of the following issues.
Firstly, the intestinal flora of children 0-6 months old is not yet well-developed, parents need to consult a doctor if supplementing probiotics for their children. The intestinal flora of children 6-12 months old grows stronger, parents can supplement their children in accordance with each baby’s digestive ability. For children 1-2 years old and older, the intestinal flora is relatively well developed. At this time, parents do not necessarily need to use probiotics for their children regularly, continuously or for a long time.
Second, children can have intestinal dysbiosis when treated with antibiotics or suffer from diseases such as viral fever and diarrhea due to viral infection. Supplementing probiotics at this time helps children balance good and bad bacteria in the body, eat well and absorb nutrients better.
Third, the ingredients and content of each type of probiotic are often different. For example, a single-strain type contains only one type of bacteria, a multi-strain type may contain 10-20 bacterial strains. Parents should not arbitrarily supplement their children without a doctor’s prescription.
If your child often vomits after eating, it may stem from many different causes and the risk of disease cannot be ruled out. Long-term probiotic supplementation may not be effective, and may even delay the “golden” time for diagnosis and treatment for children. You should take your child to a medical facility that specializes in pediatrics to be examined by a doctor.
Parents should also take their children for regular nutritional examinations and in-depth micronutrient tests using a UPLC high-performance liquid chromatography machine to know which nutrients the child’s body is lacking or in excess of. From there, the nutritionist advises on how to develop a menu and supplement probiotics for the baby.