Live bacteria for happy, healthy kids

Was your child born by C-section or bottle-fed? Are they feeling a bit below par at the moment? Or are you, as a parent, simply looking for guidance about how to increase good bacteria in the gut naturally? And you want to know which supplements to give your children as a daily insurance that they’re getting what they need? If so, read on and see how we might be able to help.

New research seems to be published every day, which adds to our understanding of how our gut bacteria influence our health in a multitude of weird and wonderful ways. Just this month, a new paper was published by Shao et al. in the leading publication, Nature, which presented strong data demonstrating the significant difference in the composition of the bacterial communities living in the gut of newborn babies born by vaginal versus C-section delivery¹.

Not only that can impact the composition of bacteria in the gut, but also other dietary and environmental factors children are often exposed to; antibiotic use, high dietary sugar, insufficient fibre intake, or chlorinated water, to name a few.

The good news is that we have an extensive range of live bacteria supplements for kids, whatever their age, even from birth. We have product solutions to suit their every need and taste. It is common to feel bamboozled though when trying to choose the right product, given how many options are available on the market these days. So, allow us to make this an easier task for you.

Our products

Baby BioFlora - Therapeutic and comprehensive support for newborns

• A specialised blend of high potency live bacteria powder for babies
• Contains the clinically-researched baby live bacteria combination LAB⁴B as used in the Swansea Baby trial
• Per daily dosage, it provides 10 billion proprietary blend of bacteria including Bifidobacterium bifidum & lactis, Lactobacillus paracasei and Lactobacillus salivarius. They are stable in storage so you’re guaranteed to get what you need and stable in the gut

This is our go-to product for babies who require therapeutic support, often when they have been delivered via C-section and/or are bottle-fed. As we mentioned earlier, there is extensive evidence which indicates that babies born by C-section lack certain bacterial strains in their gut which should otherwise be abundant, due to lack of exposure to the vaginal bacteria of their mother.² A similar issue can arise with babies who are exclusively bottle-fed, given the role of breastmilk in supporting the colonisation of the gut with diverse strains of bacteria.³

It also contains 2 different forms of prebiotic fibre: fructooligosaccharide (FOS) and galactooligosaccharide (GOS). GOS is naturally present in breast-milk, hence its presence in this product allows it to deliver comprehensive support, especially for babies who are not breastfed. The GOS in this product has been extracted from cow’s milk since this is most reliable source of GOS for supplementation. It's therefore unsuitable for those with cow’s milk allergy (see Baby Infantis Powder below instead). It is, however, suitable for those who have a milder intolerance to cow’s milk, rather than a diagnosed allergy. This product can be given from birth, and it is vegetarian, naturally sweet, and easy to administer.

Directions:

1. Mix 1 heaped scoopful into a small amount of sterile water or suitable milk to form a soft paste, or add to cool or warm soft foods if being weaned. You can also dip your finger or a dummy in the powder for the baby to suckle on.
2. If bottle-feeding, the powder can be also added to the bottle for convenience, just make sure the milk is at room temperature when adding the live bacteria, as they are affected by heat.
3. Give it a good stir and a shake to prevent the powder from sticking to the bottle or the teat.

Baby Infantis Powder - Everyday support for newborns

• Contains Bifidobacteria live bacteria naturally found in breast milk
• Suitable for children of all ages but most appropriate to infants prior to weaning
• Provides 4 billion of Bifidobacterium lactis per daily dosage, alongside FOS

Baby Infantis Powder is an excellent option for babies who require a hypoallergenic powder as it is vegan, free from allergens, and suitable from birth too. This tends to be our product of choice for those babies who despite being vaginally delivered and/or breast fed, still have some symptoms and require gentle additional support. It is particularly useful for unsettled and crying babies.

Directions:

1. Mix ¼ tsp into a small amount of sterile water or suitable milk to form a soft paste, or add to cool or warm soft foods if being weaned. You can also dip your finger or a dummy into the powder for the baby to suckle on.
2. If bottle-feeding, the powder can be also added to the bottle for convenience, just make sure the milk is at room temperature when adding the live bacteria, as they are affected by heat.
3. Give it a good stir and a shake to prevent the powder from sticking to the bottle or the teat.

Children's Mindlinx® Complex - High potency live bacteria with L-glutamine

• A unique combination of high potency live bacteria and L-glutamine in powder form.

This product is our ideal choice for children over two years of age who require therapeutic support. Per daily dosage, it provides 500mg of FOS, 16 billion live bacteria of the clinically well-researched LAB4 combination (Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium bifidum, and Bifidobacterium lactis), with the addition of another well-characterised strain, Lactobacillus rhamnosus. These live bacteria strains are provided alongside 1000mg of the amino acid L-glutamine, which collectively allows this product to provide comprehensive support. It is also vegan/vegetarian and tastes particularly pleasant due to the addition of apricot powder. L-glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in the human body and is used in high amounts by cells that line the gut.

Directions:

1. Mix ½ tsp into liquid, or add to cool or warm soft foods

Children's Red Berry BioMelts - Everyday immune support

Children’s Red Berry BioMelts is an all in one solution of live bacteria with vitamin D3 for every day and immune support in one hit. Naturally sweetened with prebiotic xylitol, the delicious berry flavoured powder simply melts on your tongue.

It provides 3 billion live bacteria per dose of Bifidobacterium lactis and Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, a strain which has a strong research track record for safe and effective use in children. We have provided it alongside 300IU vitamin D3 to support immune function , and strong bones. The Department of Health recommends that a daily vitamin D supplement should be given to young children. We formulated this supplement with fussy eaters in mind and have put a lot of effort into making the powder as delicious as possible so your child will want to take it as part of their daily routine. We are yet to find a child who does not like the taste, so we think we are onto a winner! Each dose comes in a single sachet. Your child just needs to tip the powder into their mouth and they are sure to enjoy the fizzy, berry-flavoured powder. It is fun and easy to take, and can easily be added to your children’s lunch box! This product provides a no excuses way of making sure your children, over 3 years of age, enjoy the benefits of daily live bacteria supplementation! This is an exciting recent addition to our live bacteria range for children! It provides 3 billion live bacteria per dose of Bifidobacterium lactis and Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, a strain which has a strong research track record for safe and effective use in children. We have provided it alongside 300IU vitamin D3 to support immune function (especially with winter fast approaching!) ⁴ and strong bones.⁵ The Department of Health recommends that a daily vitamin D supplement should be given to young children.

We formulated this supplement with fussy eaters in mind and have put a lot of effort into making the powder as delicious as possible so your child will want to take it as part of their daily routine. We are yet to find a child who does not like the taste, so we think we are onto a winner! Each dose comes in a single sachet. Your child just needs to tip the powder into their mouth and they are sure to enjoy the fizzy, berry flavoured powder. It is fun and easy to take, and can easily be added to your children’s lunchbox. This product provides a no excuses way of making sure your children, over 3 years of age, enjoy the benefits of daily live bacteria supplementation!

Directions:

1 sachet per day, taken directly onto the tongue or can be mixed into liquid or food

Children's Strawberry (or Banana) BioAcidophilus - Everyday support during weaning and for toddlers

Providing 2 billion live bacteria per daily intake, Children's BioAcidophilus is a gentle, daily supplement that's ideal for babies and children, with a proven history of safe use and comes in a delicious base of either banana or strawberry powder.

These vegan, hypoallergenic powders provide a dosage of live bacteria which is ideal for daily maintenance support for children from 6 months of age with no particular health issues. It provides 2 billion live bacteria per daily dosage of the aforementioned LAB4 blend also including over 1g of FOS. We use natural freeze-dried banana or strawberry powder to deliver a delicious flavour, which is sure to be loved by your little ones. The fruit base, alongside with FOS, provides extra fibre, which often lacks in modern diet. These vegan, hypoallergenic powders provide a dosage of live bacteria which is sufficient for daily maintenance support for children from 6 months of age with no particular health issues. It provides 2 billion live bacteria per daily dosage of the aforementioned LAB⁴ blend also including over 1g of FOS. We use natural freeze-dried banana or strawberry powder to deliver a delicious flavor, which is sure to be loved by your little ones.The fruit base, alongside with FOS, provides extra fibre, which often lacks in modern diet.

Directions:

½ tsp mixed into any liquid or food at room temperature

Got a question?

Supporting our children’s health is the top priority of every parent. Looking after their gut health and gut bacteria is one of the most important, and possibly the easiest, ways of doing that.

There is something for every child in the BioCare range so hopefully we’ve made it easier for you to find the right solution for your little one.

However, if you would like additional advice about which product to choose for your child, our Clinical Nutrition team is on hand to support you. Please contact them via email at clinicalnutrition@biocare.co.uk, or on their direct line: 0121 433 8702.

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References

¹ Shao et al. Stunted microbiota and opportunistic pathogen colonization in caesarean-section births. Nature. 2019.

² Dominguez-bello et al. Partial restoration of the microbiota of caesarean-born infants via vaginal microbial transfer. Nature Medicine. 2016; 22, 250-253.

³ Human Milk Oligosaccharides and Synthetic Galactosyloligosaccharides Contain 3’-. 4’-, and 6’-Galactosyllactose and Attenuate Inflammation in Human T84, NCM-460, and H4 cells and Intestinal Tissue Ex Vivo. J Nutrition. 2016; 146(2):358-67.

⁴ Griffin, M.D. et al. Vitamin D and its analogues as regulators of immune activation and antigen presentation. Annual Review of Nutrition, 2003; 23, 117-145.

⁵ Christakos, S. (2012) Recent advances in our understanding of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 regulation of intestinal calcium absorption. Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics, 523 (1), 73-76.