PROBIOTICS FOR BABIES?
WHY NOT?
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“Infantile colic is a common functional gastrointestinal disorder of early infancy. …Infantile colic has a substantial deleterious impact on society by negatively affecting parental health, resulting in decreased family functioning years later…. The immediate impact on the infant is unknown; they certainly do not seem happy. Ten years later, these infants with colic become children who have an 11-fold increased risk for developing recurrent abdominal pain, as well as an increased risk for allergic diseases and psychological disorders.” – Bruno P. Chumpitazi, MD, MPH and Robert J. Shulman, MD from their recent editorial in JAMA Pediatrics called Five Probiotic Drops a Day to Keep Infantile Colic Away? Shulman is a Professor of Pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine.
“Chiropractors are rarely qualified to diagnose a baby’s ailment. A baby who cries inconsolably may have colic, or he may have constipation, acid reflux or a milk allergy” – Victor Turow, M.D., a pediatrician at North Shore University Hospital in Great Neck, New York from a 2011 post of mine called COLIC & CHIROPRACTIC. |
Not only do we know that virtually all drugs have wide ranging and nasty side effects, we should be aware of the lack of scientific validity for most of them (HERE). It all leads us to wonder what in the world we should do for our newborn’s health? If you have been reading our posts on GUT HEALTH (particularly the one on NEWBORNS), you already know the answer to this one. Avoid ANTIBIOTICS as if your life depends on it, and do whatever it takes to RESTORE AND MAINTAIN GOOD BACTERIA. Although I used to be vilified as a quack for telling my patients these kinds of things, the medical community is finally starting to come around.
- Episodes of regurgitation / reflux
- Duration of inconsolable crying (minutes per day)
- Number of bowel movements per day
- Feeding changes
- Number of visits to pediatricians
- Number of visits to a pediatric emergency department for a perceived health emergency
- Hospitalizations
- Pharmacological interventions
- Loss of parental working days
Although Lactobacillus Reuteri — an organism widely considered to be “universal” in animals — has dozens of scientifically proven benefits (inhibiting the growth of harmful bacteria, infections, E. Coli, H. PYLORI, yeasts, fungi, and protozoa; boosting immune system function; resolves diarrhea-causing ailments, including INFLAMMATORY BOWEL PROBLEMS; prevents tooth decay; helps the body absorb nutrients better; and promotes overall health). But again, like the probiotic Acidophilus, L Reuteri is only one organism. What can be done to see that your baby gets a plethora of beneficial bacteria into their systems?
