Savvy moms, what are the BEST probiotics and supplements for babies/todds?

[smithereens]

...or other ways to get probiotics into kids who are casein free?  Does homemade water kefir or kombucha survive the stomach acid if consumed regularly?

My 14 mo. old is starting Udo's Choice infant probiotic powder today.  However, I am skeptical that it will be helpful since it is in powder form.  Do all probiotic pills need to be enteric coated to be effective?  Also the website said it was dairy free, but upon receiving it the bottle says it may contain traces of milk and soy.  /sigh

What is the BEST route, here?  He is sensitive to all 8 common allergens except fish, and has controlled eczema...meaning it's still there, but hardly noticeable.  I have not yet taken him off soy and wheat completely yet, as we are phasing these last two ingredients out of our diet slowly so as to not waste tons of money.  The eczema and increased allergies showed up suddenly when he was 12 1/2 months old after we started supplementing breast milk with cows milk.  He then self-weened, despite my best efforts to keep him going.  Hard to tell what the exact cause of all this getting worse was.  He is now egg free, casein free, nut free...drinks coconut milk with no problem.  I just put him on this probiotic, plus some Omega 369 supplements (animal parade) for kids for help with the eczema...all this in addition to a basic vitamin/mineral supplement (schiffs for kids).  We use Calendula cream with a few drops of Neem oil added which seems to help, and un-petroleum jelly to lock in moisture.  oatmeal baths make him break out more, probably b/c of the gluten content.

Anyways, back to the original question: best probiotic route?

THANKS!

[sbgrace]

I don't know about your kefir and such. I've never seen studies.

I like Klaire labs and they are allergen free. They sell a powder form that has been tested for potency/survival.

Your coconut milk very likely (almost certainly) has trace nut. Call to ask if it's produced on equipment with nuts if you suspect nut issues. Similarly, it's very hard to find gluten free stuff that doesn't have nut trace. Let me know if you need a list of safe gluten free staples. All my stuf was contaminated with gluten.

My son's eczema seems to have been caused partly by a balsam of peru sensitivity.

[ethansmomma]

Yes about the kefir and kombucha. They say take it at every meal or whenever you eat.

[scsigrl]

Are you being advised by a medical professional in all this?  I only ask because limiting a diet unnecessarily is not only $$$ but hard socially and emotionally.  Just want to be sure you are getting good care :)
 

I am 1000% sold on Custom Probiotics.  They truly changed DS's life!  They sent us a free sample that lasted us about a month.  We saw improvements in 2 days I believe.  It's a powder and we mix it with water and he drinks it.  It is dairy/gluten free. My DS is top 8 allergic and he hasn't had any issues. I emailed them his allergy list and they assured me that they would be fine for him as well.

[Panserbjorne]

Originally Posted by scsigrl 

I am 1000% sold on Custom Probiotics.  They truly changed DS's life!  They sent us a free sample that lasted us about a month.  We saw improvements in 2 days I believe.  It's a powder and we mix it with water and he drinks it.  It is dairy/gluten free. My DS is top 8 allergic and he hasn't had any issues. I emailed them his allergy list and they assured me that they would be fine for him as well.

Yup.  I first used them almost 5 years ago now and they really are high quality.  They are also very high potency and make a difference for most everyone that uses them. can't recommend them highly enough.  We had a lot more to worry about than the top 8 and they were great for us.

[Tellera]

Originally Posted by sbgrace 

I don't know about your kefir and such. I've never seen studies.

I like Klaire labs and they are allergen free. They sell a powder form that has been tested for potency/survival.

Your coconut milk very likely (almost certainly) has trace nut. Call to ask if it's produced on equipment with nuts if you suspect nut issues. Similarly, it's very hard to find gluten free stuff that doesn't have nut trace. Let me know if you need a list of safe gluten free staples. All my stuf was contaminated with gluten.

My son's eczema seems to have been caused partly by a balsam of peru sensitivity.

We use the Klaire labs ther-biotic infant probiotic.

[mom61508]

Originally Posted by scsigrl 

Are you being advised by a medical professional in all this?  I only ask because limiting a diet unnecessarily is not only $$$ but hard socially and emotionally.  Just want to be sure you are getting good care :)
 

I am 1000% sold on Custom Probiotics.  They truly changed DS's life!  They sent us a free sample that lasted us about a month.  We saw improvements in 2 days I believe.  It's a powder and we mix it with water and he drinks it.  It is dairy/gluten free. My DS is top 8 allergic and he hasn't had any issues. I emailed them his allergy list and they assured me that they would be fine for him as well.

How did you know which probiotic to get from custom probiotics for a child? they seemed to have so many different ones.

[Panserbjorne]

there are a few that are specifically for kids, but give them a call.  Harry is fabulous to work with.

[scsigrl]

I contacted them with a list of our allergies as well as some of our dx's.  They suggested one for us.  They truly are great to work with!  Harry is really great.

[smithereens]

Thanks, so Custom Probiotics or Klaire labs?  How did you get a free sample?  I have spent so much money already trying to tweak his health routine.

He sees a conventional allergist, who said he's allergic to peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, casein, egg, and soy.  She advised us to keep him on the soy and wheat since it's more of a sensitivity to those, but I'm not very trusting.  She told me to give him lots of soy products as a milk replacement.  When I told her my concerns about soy, her attitude was basically that I should just trust her and ignore the internet.  Well...I tried organic nonGMO soy on him for 2 weeks, and he was MISERABLE...crying all the time due to indigestion issues.  It sort of  built up after a few days of being on it.  Then, when I took him off the soy milk he was happy again within a couple of days.  And his eczema is MUCH MUCH better, but he still has spots of it on his knees, stomach and back.  So that's why I think I might want to take him off the soy (entirely, but it's in everything...even health food) and wheat too. 

Have you all seen lots of improvement in your kids allergy/skin issues with the use of a high quality probiotic?  To the point they can consume some allergenic foods?  Or are you still keeping them off those things entirely?

Also, I just read that it's better to give kids cod liver oil that is high in vitamin D and A, rather than omega 369 since they are usually only short on the omega 3, and need a good ratio of 3 to 6.

ANYWAYS... 

[scsigrl]

Many kids who can't/are allergic to dairy are also unable to do soy.  If you know there is a bad reaction to soy, don't do it.  My DS is allergic to all those things you listed and many more (including having Celiac's).  He does just fine without soy!  He is growing just fine.  I see so many people jump on the soy bandwagon.  It is SO unnecessary to replace dairy with anything.  There are many many cultures who don't do dairy and dont' replace it with anything.  It is a HUGE allergy pet peeve of mine :)  I am like you about soy too.  Don't like a lot of what I read about it. Not going to triple my kids intake of it cause he can't do dairy. Nope.  Not for me. Not for him!!!

I just emailed Custom with our limitations and issues.  I just said something like I want to try them to be sure that my DS doesn't react, can I buy a smaller quantity and he offered a free sample.  I know the price seems really high but the $100 bottle we purchased after the sample ran out should last us about 10 months.  $12/month for the improvement in my son is totally worth it.

No, my son is still as allergic to the things in his diet.  A probiotic isn't going to change immunology over night.  Nothing changes immunology overnight.  Has it totally changed his life for the better? Heck yeah.  It takes years for a kid to outgrow a true IgE allergy (typically).  That's why a good allergist won't even test more than once a year at the most. (I have one that wanted to test every 6 months...Um, no thank you!)

[scsigrl]

Many kids who can't/are allergic to dairy are also unable to do soy.  If you know there is a bad reaction to soy, don't do it.  My DS is allergic to all those things you listed and many more (including having Celiac's).  He does just fine without soy!  He is growing just fine.  I see so many people jump on the soy bandwagon.  It is SO unnecessary to replace dairy with anything.  There are many many cultures who don't do dairy and dont' replace it with anything.  It is a HUGE allergy pet peeve of mine :)  I am like you about soy too.  Don't like a lot of what I read about it. Not going to triple my kids intake of it cause he can't do dairy. Nope.  Not for me. Not for him!!!

I just emailed Custom with our limitations and issues.  I just said something like I want to try them to be sure that my DS doesn't react, can I buy a smaller quantity and he offered a free sample.  I know the price seems really high but the $100 bottle we purchased after the sample ran out should last us about 10 months.  $12/month for the improvement in my son is totally worth it.

No, my son is still as allergic to the things in his diet.  A probiotic isn't going to change immunology over night.  Nothing changes immunology overnight.  Has it totally changed his life for the better? Heck yeah.  It takes years for a kid to outgrow a true IgE allergy (typically).  That's why a good allergist won't even test more than once a year at the most. (I have one that wanted to test every 6 months...Um, no thank you!)

[DevaMajka]

I'm seriously contemplating getting some CP probiotics for my kids.

There's a probiotics thread here where someone says that taking probiotics can...well, it's probably easier to just point you to the post- #12. What do you think of that? Any validity to that? It doesn't seem like it, but thought I'd ask.

[Panserbjorne]

I've never seen any literature that supports that in any way.  I've seen it with other functions, but not probiotics at all.  Anyone else?

[DevaMajka]

I'm going with that (what you said, PB) for now. I've never read it before, and I have read lots of good things about them. And ds2 has problems that probiotics might be able to help with.

Does your body "produce" the natural flora? Or is that something that's introduced from the outside?

[Panserbjorne]

Originally Posted by DevaMajka 

I'm going with that (what you said, PB) for now. I've never read it before, and I have read lots of good things about them. And ds2 has problems that probiotics might be able to help with.

Does your body "produce" the natural flora? Or is that something that's introduced from the outside?

well, you get a starter culture from the outside at birth.  with luck it's a good one.  reality is, nowadays, it's generally not.  that does depend on mama.  after that you do produce, but latest research shows you have 100 trillion cfu's in your body.  That's a LOT.