Friendly bacteria for children

Our kids friendly bacteria

Whether your child prefers liquid drops, powder, or gummies, we have something to suit all little tummies!

We're so proud of our award-winning kids probiotics, which are favourites with our customers and health professionals alike. Read on to find out which one is best for your child:

Baby Drops offers friendly bacteria in a flavourless liquid with an easy-to-use dropper. These live cultures for children are safe to be taken by newborns, toddlers, or older children who find other formats difficult to take. A perfect early years supplement to naturally complement a child's developing gut flora.

Babies & Children is a pleasant-tasting powder which is easy to mix in cool milk or water, or sprinkled on a favourite breakfast food. As the name suggests, this children's live cultures supplement can be given to babies from birth, but is also a favourite with older children who like to take their live cultures in a ‘fairy dust’ powder format! A great all-rounder, with live cultures and fibre to increase natural gut bacteria, and Vitamin D3 to support immune health.

Kids Gummies is a delicious, soft and chewable fruit gummy suitable for children age 3 and over. Kids live cultures never tasted so good! But don't be fooled by their yummy flavour - these kids friendly bacteria gummies contain highly-researched live cultures along with Vitamin D and Calcium for all-round gut and immune support.

Friendly bacteria: your questions answered

What Is the Difference Between Gummies VS Capsules or Powder?

Capsule and powder live cultures supplements typically contain strains of Lactobacilli or Bifidobacteria: our Baby Drops contains Bifidobacterium breve M-16V® and our Babies & Children contains both Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria. However, in our Kids Gummies we use Bacillus coagulans Unique IS-2 because it is more resilient to moisture, acid, and heat, making it more suitable for use in this format.

The good news is that all of these high-quality strains have all been selected because they’re extensively researched in children, so you can just choose the format your child prefers. Some children love gummies, others prefer drops or capsules, and some like to have their flavourless friendly bacteria powder mixed in with their yogurt or cereal. It is up to you and your child which format you prefer to take as your friendly bacteria supplement, because the quality and performance of the products is consistent across the range.

What are children’s friendly bacteria?

Live cultures for children are dietary supplements specially designed for use by infants and children. Certain species and strains of bacteria are commonly found in a child’s gut, such as strains of Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli. High-quality kids supplements will contain live cultures which have been clinically researched in children and are particularly suitable for a child’s developing digestive system. All of the Optibac children’s live cultures supplements contain strains of Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli which have been researched in children, such as Bifidobacterium breve M-16V® (1) and the world’s most researched strain, Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG(2).

How do I choose the best live cultures supplement for my child?

When choosing a friendly bacteria supplement for your child, you need to feel confident that it’s safe, well-researched, and contains bacteria which are suitable for your child's needs. It's best to choose a supplement which has been specifically researched and designed for kids. Optibac kids live cultures contain strains which have been clinically tested in thousands of babies and children(2,3,4,5,6). If your child has a particular health condition, you may also like to consider which strains your supplement contains, to ensure they take the live cultures strain(s) which have been researched for that condition.

Can you give a child too many friendly bacteria?

Live cultures are very safe for children(2,3) and it’s not thought to be possible to ‘overdose’ on them. The added ingredients in some of our kids live cultures supplements, Calcium and Vitamin D, also have a safe upper limit(6) which is many times the level included in these supplements. But in general, it's best to stick to our recommended daily amount, especially if your child takes other vitamin supplements containing Vitamin D or Calcium. If you have any concerns, please contact our nutrition team.

References

1. Athalye-Jape G et al. (2017). Bifidobacterium breve M-16V as a probiotic for preterm infants: A strain specific review. Journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition, 42 (4): 677-688.
2. Manzoni, P. et al (2011) Routine Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG administration in VLBW infants: A retrospective, 6-year cohort study. Early Human Development (87) 35–38.
3. Wickens K et al. (2008). A differential effect of 2 probiotics in the prevention of eczema and atopy: a double blind, randomised, placebo controlled trial. Atopic dermatitis and skin disease, 122 (4): 788-794.
4. Kumpu, M. et al (2012) Milk containing probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG and respiratory illness in children: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (66) 1020-1023
5. Hojsak, I., Snovak, N., et al. (2010) ‘Lactobacillus GG in the prevention of gastrointestinal and respiratory tract infections in children who attend day care centers: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial’, Clinical Nutrition, 29(3). doi: 10.1016/j.clnu.2009.09.008.
6. Vitamin D (2020) Retrieved from: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vitamins-and-minerals/vitamin-d/ (accessed 5-3-21)