Baby-Biotics: What are the Best Probiotic Supplements for Babies & Kids?

Written by:

Suzanne Weaver-Goss

08/02/2016

Updated: 09/29/2023

Looking for a different product guide? Browse them all HERE.

After Maia posted about multivitamins last summer, we were flooded with questions about probiotics.

  • Should you be giving your babies and kids probiotic supplements?
  • And if so, which brands are the Good Stuff?

Probiotics are a complex and fascinating topic. I’m a Certified Holistic Health Coach, but not a physician, so I’m not here to dispense medical advice. I do have some information and tasty tidbits to share, including a two-ingredient recipe for my favorite probiotic food. I’ll also share the results of the kitchen-counter experiment we conducted to see if popular probiotic supplements do in fact contain live cultures.

What Are Probiotics?

People throw around the term “probiotics” a lot. What are they talking about? Basically, probiotics are beneficial little organisms, including some types of bacteria and yeasts.

Our bodies are full of such organisms, many of which have co-evolved with our species. Each of us has our own ecosystem of microorganisms—some of them beneficial, and some of them potentially harmful.

I think of this ecosystem as a diverse garden that’s unique to every individual. For optimum health, your garden should contain a wide variety of organisms, and there should be enough good ones to keep the bad ones in check.

Even the youngest babies have beneficial organisms in and on their bodies. These “good bugs” help us in a number of ways, including enhancing our digestion, our immune function, and even our mood. The types of bacteria we have in our guts may even affect our weight.

Before refrigeration was available, people fermented foods to preserve them. Traditional foods such as sauerkraut, yogurt, tempeh, and kimchi are natural sources of probiotics.

My ancestors survived the long and gruesome trip from Europe in part because they ate a lot of sauerkraut, which contributed to a healthy gut and robust immune system. These days, we can also get concentrated doses of specific strains of organisms by taking probiotic supplements. More on that in a minute.

What Are Prebiotics?

You may have also heard the term “prebiotics.” Prebiotics serve as the food for probiotic organisms. (Problematic organisms can also feed off prebiotics, but that’s a topic for another post!) These plant fibers are found in foods such as bananas, asparagus, beans and legumes, and garlic. Prebiotics are also often added to probiotic supplements.

Why Do Probiotics Matter for Babies?

Babies have immature immune systems. Although this may sound scary, and sometimes is, it’s mostly positive. It allows them to build their little ecosystems by acquiring healthy organisms in-utero, during birth, and after birth.

Exposing babies early to good organisms helps them get a healthy start. Healthy microbes enable good digestion and an immune system that fights off infections and resists the development of allergies.

Recent research illuminates how babies acquire microbes in utero (both placentas and amniotic fluid can harbor microbes), during vaginal birth, and through breast milk. If your baby has missed out on any early opportunities for natural microbe transfer, or you’re dealing with colic or other digestive issues, you might consider a probiotic supplement.

To Supplement or Not to Supplement?

If you’ve read any of my nutrition posts before, you know I’m a fan of whole-food nutrition. Real food—not tons of supplements—is the foundation of a healthy diet. Therefore, I suggest including naturally probiotic-rich foods in your daily diet.

I’ve been eating probiotic foods for decades, and my German ancestors ate them for generations before me. It helps that many of these foods are delicious! However, I know that not everyone is as excited as I am about fermented foods. It can be particularly tricky to get infants and toddlers to eat them.

Also, some situations call for a bigger dose of probiotics. Pediatricians commonly recommend probiotics for kids who have had a gastrointestinal illness and/or been on a course of antibiotics.

If you have questions or concerns about probiotics, you should take them up with your doctor or pediatrician, especially if there is a serious illness in question.

Cultivate a Healthy Gut

Regardless of where you’re getting probiotics from—food or supplements or both—there are a couple of smart things to do to help your gut (or your child’s gut!) be a place where good organisms thrive

1. Cut back on foods that are hard on your digestion and tend to feed unhelpful organisms. Such foods include processed grains, refined sugars, fried foods, and any specific foods that don’t sit right with you or your child (cow dairy, soy, and gluten are common triggers).
2. Increase the intake of whole foods, especially those plant-based foods that are rich in the prebiotic fiber that probiotics love.
3. Avoid taking/giving antibiotics unless absolutely necessary, and avoid antibacterial products that contain triclosan (Maia wrote about this scary chemical here.

Our Experiment: Are Probiotic Supplements Legit?

One of the reasons that I like food over supplements is that the supplement industry has a spotty reputation. It largely unregulated and this leads to products that may not be pure or effective. Many supplements don’t actually contain what the label says they do, and some are tainted with contaminants. Before you choose a specific supplement product, always do your homework before deciding on the brand.

When it comes to probiotic supplements, you want a product that contains live cultures. We came up with a simple experiment to determine if five popular probiotic supplements do in fact contain live cultures. We chose four child/infant formulas and an adult one based on which had the cleanest ingredients list, as well as recommendations made by our friend Dr. Alan Green:

2021 UPDATE: If you’re looking for a clean brand for a GUMMY probiotic (much easier to get kids to take!), here is one we are taking and a version for kids.

We poured an equal amount of milk into five glasses and let the milk come to room temperature. We then sprinkled one “dose” of probiotic into each glass and waited 24 hours.

If live organisms are present, the probiotics should start interacting with the milk, turning it into something resembling yogurt. If this does not happen, it may be that the probiotics are not viable (alive). We are happy to report that all five probiotic formulas did indeed cause the milk to transform. Check out the photo! That is far beyond just separated milk–it’s alive!

If you’re enjoying this guide, sign up for our Newsletter to be alerted when we publish or update our Safe Product Guides.

probiotic post.jpeg

Note: While all of these supplements appear to contain living organisms, our simple kitchen-counter experiment cannot vouch for the quantity of live organisms or what species are present.

DIY Sauerkraut (Just 2 Ingredients!)

Did you know that you can make your own probiotic foods with just a few simple ingredients? This recipe for sauerkraut calls for just two things—cabbage and salt. I sometimes make sauerkraut in a fermentation crock, but really all you need is a clean jar.

Sauerkraut is not just for adults. One of my grandsons loves it—maybe your kids will like it, too. In order to get the benefit of the probiotics, do not cook the sauerkraut before you eat it.

Sauerkraut

Homemade Saurkraut

Adapted from Nourishing Traditions, by Sally Fallon

Makes 1 quart

Ingredients:

  • 1 medium cabbage, cored and shredded
  • 2 tablespoons of sea salt

Instructions:
Mix shredded cabbage and salt in a bowl. Pound the mixture with a wooden pounder or a meat hammer for 10 minutes to release juices. Place in a quart-sized, wide-mouth jar and press down firmly with a pounder or meat hammer until juices come to the top of the cabbage. The top of the cabbage should be at least one inch below the top of the jar. Cover the jar tightly and keep it at room temperature for about three days before transferring to cold storage. The sauerkraut may be eaten immediately, but it improves with age.

If you want to experiment with making more fermented foods, these are my two favorite books about cooking and eating traditional foods:

Nourishing Traditions, by Sally Fallon
The Nourished Kitchen: Farm-To-Table recipes for the Traditional Foods Lifestyle, by Jennifer McGruther

To your health,

Suzanne, Certified Holistic Health Coach

Note: This article contains affiliate links or sponsored content, which means that if you make a purchase, we may earn a commission. We only recommend products that meet our strict standards for non-toxicity and that we use (or want to use!) ourselves. Thank you so much for supporting the brands that make Good Stuff! 

Enjoying this guide?

Join the 60,000 families who rely on our free non toxic product reviews to buy everything from milk to mattresses!
Subscribe

Best Prenatal Vitamin Guide

Posted on
In order to make our Best Stuff category, a vitamin brand needs to provide third-party lab Certificate of Analysis that confirm both the absence of contaminants and a validation of the…

42 Ways to Have a Healthy 2024

Posted on
Whether you’ve already set goals for the year or want some inspiration to do so, here are some of  my favorite resources, ideas, and products for a healthy, sane 2024!…
Image of stack of the best non toxic diapers. | Gimme The Good Stuff

The Best Non-Toxic Diapers Guide (Updated 2023)

Posted on
I wrote this Best Non Toxic Diapers Guide for the first time when Felix was still wearing them! My original introduction to this section read something like, “Sure, we all…

Leave a Reply

  1. qiaraau Avatar

    Every mother wants the best for their child. And for them, by taking care of their child and giving them the best probiotic products is a big help to satisfy this. There are lots of products with good bacteria in the market but first, need to make sure that they are all safe. You can try products from qiara.com.au. 🙂

  2. Stephanie Cole Avatar

    New mothers can get helpful information from this blog. They are having a hard time with what they should give their baby, especially on how to make their baby eat something with real probiotics. Thank you so much for creating this article!

  3. Stephanie Cole Avatar

    Nice post. Thank you so much for sharing this content about infant probiotics . Keep up the good work!

  4. Sara Avatar
    Sara

    I have been looking into probiotics for myself and my children, four months to age three. I have read that a good probiotic contains at least 40 billion CFU and 10 strains. The ones that are recommended above do not contain both recommendations, so which would you think is better? More CFU or more strains? Thank you!

  5. Lisa riel Avatar
    Lisa riel

    What about Lifeway Kefir Probugs?

    It’s in a little pouch organic whole milk

    I think it just might be sneaky….

    1. Maia James Avatar
      Maia James

      Yeah, my kids love these, but lots of sugar…

  6. Kate Avatar
    Kate

    This is a great article! It’s so important for everyone of all ages to make sure they are prioritizing gut health. IF you’re interested in checking out some of my favorite probiotics for adults check out my blog http://www.probioticsguide.com

  7. Grace Avatar
    Grace

    Any thoughts on the brand Biogaia? I’m looking specifically for lactobacillus reuteri for my child and can’t find it in any of the Good Stuff brands. Thanks!

  8. Tiffany Bennett Avatar
    Tiffany Bennett

    Wonderful article! Thank you so much. How do you feel about CleanSmart products? Just came across them recently and thought I’d try them. No alcohol, BZK, or Triclosan. But, maybe I’m missing something? Thanks for all of your work!

  9. Sheena Avatar
    Sheena

    Quick question. We don’t really drink cow’s milk, but would this work on almond milk?

  10. Robin Avatar
    Robin

    I have a 5-week-old baby I would like to give probiotics to. Would I give him the actual sauerkraut or the water in the jar?

    1. Suzanne Avatar

      Hi Robin,

      No I would not give a 5 week old baby that juice. It is very salty. I would ask your pediatrician what probiotics they would recommend for a 5 week old.

  11. Lauren Avatar
    Lauren

    Great article! Have you heard of BioGaia ProTectis drops? They contain the lactobacillus reuteri strain as well as sunflower oil, silicon dioxide and medium chain triglyceride. Do you think this product is considered “good stuff”? My doctor recommended it for us when our baby was 1 month old to help with colic and tummy issues.

    1. Suzanne Weaver-Goss Avatar
      Suzanne Weaver-Goss

      I am not familiar with it. I am not a doctor so I cannot really give advice about that particular product. At first glance, it doesn’t look too concerning. Did it help?

      1. Lauren Avatar
        Lauren

        Hard to tell if it helped. They are OTC probiotic drops and I just wasn’t sure if that particular strain was imperative for babies, and also if the other ingredients were safe “good” stuff.

        1. EJ Avatar
          EJ

          I’m wondering the same thing about the other ingredients. My three month old is gassy/colicky and her pediatrician gave me samples of the same product, but the state’s version of Gerber. I’m nervous about the other ingredients (& the Gerber name) but hesitant to try more potent baby probiotics at the whole food store in case they’re too strong and causes “die out” and more discomfort in my baby’s belly. Would love to know what you think about the additional ingredients in those drops!

          1. Suzanne Avatar

            Hi EJ,

            Yes, this is a tricky subject and I can only tell you to follow the instructions of your pediatrician on this subject or get a second opinion from another pediatrician. When I was younger and raising my own children (Maia and Graham) I had to often look for a second opinion when I would question what they said. These days it is easier to find more holistic pediatricians who don’t think you’re crazy for questioning them. You’re baby is quite young so I can relate to you not wanting to use something from whole foods. The probiotics that I discussed in the above article were taken from what Dr. Greene recommended. I am not clear as to what specific ingredients you are concerned about? Young babies often grow out of colicky symptoms as they grow older and their digestive systems develop.

  12. Sarah Avatar
    Sarah

    Great article! Thank you! About the recipe–do you take the mixture out of the bowl and put it onto a cutting board or something to do the pounding? Or do you do a light pounding in the bowl itself? (Sorry if the answer is obvious! I’m sometimes oblivious to the cooking-obvious!)

    1. Suzanne Weaver-Goss Avatar
      Suzanne Weaver-Goss

      I just pound it in the bowl. Nothing is obvious if you have never done it!!