Best Probiotics for Babies

As a new parent, what to feed your baby and how to feed your baby are two of the first and most important decisions you make. No matter how you nourish your little one, there’s a pretty big chance that tummy troubles may appear. 

At birth, your baby’s gut is introduced to a whole new world of bacteria, some good and some bad, that help create the gut microbiome. Through birth, their environment, breastmilk, or infant formula, new bacteria are routinely introduced to their gut and impact digestion, immune function, hormones, and neural pathways.¹ Organic infant probiotics can help introduce additional beneficial bacteria to your baby’s gut that could potentially help increase diversity and reduce symptoms like colic and fussiness that are unrelated to a medical condition.*^✝ 

We researched some of the best infant probiotic drops on the market today so you can decide which drops meet your baby’s and family’s unique needs. 

Milk Drunk’s top picks for infant probiotic drops

• Bobbie Organic Probiotic Drops
• BioGaia Protectis Baby Probiotic Drops
• Biostime Baby Vitamin D + Probiotic
• Culturelle Baby Digestive Calm + Comfort Probiotic Drops
• Enfamil Dual Probiotics Happy Tummy
• Gerber Good Start Soothe Comforting Probiotic Drops
• Love Bug Infant Probiotics
• Mama Natural Baby Probiotic Drops
• Mommy’s Bliss Baby Probiotic Drops
• Zarbee’s Baby Daily Probiotic Drops 

What are infant probiotics?

Infant probiotics are beneficial strains of bacteria or yeast that are given to your baby, most often through liquid drops. They can help increase the diversity of good bacteria in your baby’s digestive system.* While the benefits of probiotics for babies are still being researched, some studies have found that certain strains are associated with reduced crying time in infants with colic-related excessive crying.*^✝2,3

Do babies need probiotics?

All babies begin to develop a unique gut microbiome at birth, whether they get probiotic drops or not. Good and bad bacteria are introduced into their digestive system through birth, breast milk, formula, and their environment. 

For the 10-40% of infants with colic, a condition used to describe babies who have periods of inconsolable crying for 3 or more hours a day, at least 3 days a week, for more than 3 weeks, who have no other underlying medical concerns or conditions, probiotics could offer some potential benefits.*^✝4 For babies born prematurely or with any immune system compromises, speak to your doctor before giving your baby any products with probiotics. 

Best Baby Probiotics

Bobbie Organic Probiotic Drops

BioGaia Protectis Baby Probiotic Drops

Biostime Baby Vitamin D + Probiotic

Culturelle Baby Digestive Calm + Comfort Probiotic Drops

Enfamil Dual Probiotics Happy Tummy

Gerber Good Start Soothe Comforting Probiotic Drops

Love Bug Infant Probiotics

Mama Natural Baby Probiotic Drops

Mommy’s Bliss Baby Probiotic Drops

Zarbee’s Baby Daily Probiotic Drops 

Best time of day to give baby probiotics

The best time to give your baby probiotic drops is in the morning, before or with their first bottle.  But if that doesn’t work, they can be given with any feeding and still be effective. You want to avoid giving your baby their probiotic after they’ve had their bottle, as the stomach acid present after eating is more likely to kill a higher percentage of the bacteria in the probiotic before it reaches the intestines.⁶

Can probiotics help a gassy baby?

While research has found that probiotics can reduce crying time in colicky babies, it’s not as promising as a gas-reducing remedy, but some parents swear by it.*^✝ Some probiotic blends could potentially cause gas to temporarily increase while your baby’s digestive system gets used to it. 

Do probiotics help with colic babies (colic newborns)?

If your newborn has periods of excessive crying and fussing, and all other medical concerns have been ruled out, colic is a likely cause. This condition starts as a newborn and can last up to three months, often peaking in intensity around 4 to 6 weeks.⁴ With colic, your baby may be more sensitive to stimulation and have a harder time self-regulating themselves and soothing their nervous system, and a lack of diversity in their gut microbiome could play an important role.^7,8 

While some research has shown potential benefits in reducing crying time in infants with colic, not all probiotic strains will benefit your baby.*^✝ A small September 2021 study found that supplementing colicky babies with 1 billion CFU of Bifidobacterium longum and Pediococcus pentosaceus for two weeks resulted in an average of 30 minutes less daily crying than infants receiving the placebo.*^✝2

Probiotics baby benefits

With the many strains of probiotics available and used in studies, researchers have found conflicting and varied results regarding the potential benefits of using infant probiotic drops. Except for preterm infants or those with compromised immune systems, most research has found that probiotics are generally well tolerated with low risk involved for most babies.⁹

Baby probiotics

Infant probiotic drops can help support your baby’s gut microbiome and potentially ease some symptoms of colic*^✝. There are plenty of probiotic drops for babies to choose from, with varying strains and ingredients and the option to choose organic infant probiotics or conventional, all at varying prices. Speak with your pediatrician to see if probiotics are right for your baby and for help choosing the ones that will work best for your little one. 

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

^✝For colic that is not attributable to a medical condition. 

References

1. The Infant Microbiome | Nursing Research
2. Infantile Colic Treated With Bifidobacterium longum CECT7894 and Pediococcus pentosaceus CECT8330: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial | Froteirs in Pediatrics 
3. Pediococcus Pentosaceus Cect 8330 And Bifidobacterium Longum Cect 7894 Show A Trend Towards Lowering Infantile Excessive Crying Syndrome In A Pilot Clinical Trial | International Journal of Pharma and Bio Sciences
4. Infantile Colic: Recognition and Treatment | American Family Physician
5. The Association of Bifidobacterium breve BR03 and B632 is Effective to Prevent Colics in Bottle-fed Infants: A Pilot, Controlled, Randomized, and Double-Blind Study | Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology
6. The impact of meals on a probiotic during transit through a model of the human upper gastrointestinal tract | Beneficial Microbes
7. Colic Relief Tips for Parents | Healthy Children
8. Characterizing the Intestinal Microbiome in Infantile Colic: Findings Based on an Integrative Review of the Literature | Biological Research for Nursing
9. Probiotics in Pediatrics. A Review and Practical Guide. Nutrients