After your child has been on antibiotics, probiotics in foods like yoghurt can help get the gut microbiome back to a healthy balance by replacing the beneficial bacteria killed off by the antibiotics. — TNS
Antibiotics can kill both good and bad bacteria in your child’s gut.
This may throw your child’s gut microbiome out of balance.
The microbiome is made up of the microscopic organisms – bacteria, fungi, viruses and parasites – that live in our bodies.
That’s why it’s important to only use antibiotics when they’re really needed.
If your child’s gut microbiome is disrupted from antibiotics, your doctor may recommend boosting the probiotics in their diet.
Signs that your child’s microbiome is off-balance include:
- Diarrhoea
- Abdominal cramping
- Nausea
- Gas
- Vomiting
Probiotics are made up of the good bacteria that live in our bodies.
After your child has been on antibiotics, probiotics can help get the gut microbiome back to a healthy balance by putting beneficial bacteria back in.
Studies also suggest that probiotics may help relieve the diarrhoea, gas, and cramping caused by antibiotics.
A balanced microbiome may even support your child’s immune system to help fight future infections, research suggests.
Our gut microbiome plays a big part in how our immune system functions.
In fact, our gut contains 70% of the immune system.
There are hundreds of bacteria that are considered to be probiotics.
A few of the most commonly used strains are Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium and Saccharomyces.
Many fermented foods have probiotics in them, for example:
- Yoghurt
- Kefir (a yoghurt-like beverage)
- Sauerkraut and pickles (raw and refrigerated)
- Kimchi (made from fermented cabbage)
- Tempeh and miso (made from fermented soybeans)
- Buttermilk
- Sourdough bread
You may also have heard of prebiotics.
These foods or supplements contain complex carbohydrates that can’t be digested.
The carbs ferment in the digestive system, feeding the good bacteria in the gut and helping them grow and thrive.
Prebiotics are like fertiliser for the microbiome.
They are found in many foods, especially those with a high fibre content. Examples include:
- Asparagus
- Snow peas
- Whole grains
- Bananas
- Onions
- Soybeans
- Garlic
Probiotics and prebiotics are also sold as supplements in capsule, tablet, powder and liquid form.
But keep in mind that these supplements are not approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) before being sold.
There also aren’t any official guidelines on how much to take or for how long.
Be sure to talk to your paediatrician before giving your child any supplements, including probiotics or prebiotics.
Probiotics are also found in kombucha, a carbonated drink made with fermented sweetened tea.
But drinking kombucha can be risky for kids because it may contain alcohol.
Children shouldn’t drink home-brewed kombucha because it may contain harmful bacteria.
This is especially true if your child has a health condition that weakens their immune system.
Ask your paediatrician if you have questions about kombucha.
Your child’s microbiome should recover on its own after taking antibiotics, as long as your child is eating healthy foods.
You can add foods with prebiotics or probiotics to help get that balance back too.
Worried about overdoing it?
When you have prebiotics in your diet, the bacteria consume the amount they need to stay healthy and active, and the rest passes through the digestive system into the stool.
The same goes for probiotics.
If you get too many, there’s nowhere for them to go, so they also pass into the stool. – By Dr Christine Waasdorp Hurtado/American Academy of Pediatrics/Tribune News Service
Dr Christine Waasdorp Hurtado is the gastroenterology team medical director at Children’s Hospital Colorado in the United States, and a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition.
