Not only are probiotics generally considered safe to use for your newborn, there is some evidence to suggest that probiotics in the early days of life may have tremendous health benefits down the road. While probiotics are not for every newborn, it may be worth considering their use given the potential benefits that they can provide.

When a baby is a newborn, it is a critical time in terms of a variety of health issues. This is no different for the digestive system than it is for any other part of the body. When a baby is still in the womb, that baby’s digestive system is sanitary, with no bacteria of any sort living in it. During the newborn stage, however, the normal bacteria that can be found in the digestive system start to appear. These bacteria progress over time, through much of early infancy, until they get to the place where there is a relative balance and harmony in the digestive system.

When your newborn’s digestive environment (also known as “gut flora”) is still growing, there can be several problems. For one, it is thought that colic may be caused by issues in the gastrointestinal tract. It is also thought that the gut flora can help with those gastrointestinal problems. This has been demonstrated to be true in studies, as colicky newborns and babies that were given probiotics tended to cry much less than babies given traditional colic medications or not given anything at all.

In addition to all of this, there have been recent studies that suggest that probiotics can actually help your newborn by helping to hold off certain other conditions, such as asthma and eczema. In one study, for example, infants that used probiotics were able to keep from getting eczema for two years longer than those infants that were not given probiotics.

Again, probiotics are not recommended for all newborns. Those that have difficulties of various sorts with the immune system are generally not good candidates for probiotic use. If your newborn falls into this category, or if you have other concerns about using probiotics for your newborn, you should speak with your health care provider.

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