Probiotic

I, personally, choose Optiflora here. www.shaklee.net/anbwr
It's the best on the market with the most reliable science.

I am a HUGE fan of Culturelle. We first started using it after my son with a mild form of autism had several infections and was not coping with his emotions well (around age 7). It made a difference in his physical and emotional health. I've used it with my 2 younger sons as well whenever they are on antibiotics. I know that Culturelle has come out with a kids version but I don't have experience with it. I swear by and recommend the regular version and have used it on all ages of my kids. The capsule can be taken apart and mixed in with formula, breastmilk in a bottle, cereal, juice, applesauce, pudding... you name it!

Hi M.,

My sons had chronic ear infections and many rounds of antibiotics last year so I started them on probiotics. We use Primadophilus Children by Natures Way. It's a once a day powder that can be mixed into milk/juice/formula/food, etc.

It has worked well for us and helps with the diarrhea associated with antibiotics. I asked my pediatrician about using probiotics and she said that it will help get the body back in balance after using antibiotics. Good luck!

I like the YoBaby yogurt for babies. It's whole milk, organic and has live cultures.

hope she feels better soon!

Hi M.,
I used probiotics with my dtr. when she was a babe (now 3). I don't recall the name but, asked someone at whole foods what they recommended. Our doctor gave me the amount I should use with her since she was so little. good luck.

I would suggest yogurt too. The good kind with active cultures. I would give it to here for at least a week after you are done with the amoxicillin, but I think it's a good staple food to give kids for a snack, etc. to keep things working properly. I'd also ask your local health food store for other ideas. I would also suggest chiropractic care. I know of children that didn't have to put tubes in their ears because they tried chiropractic care first.

Hi M.,
I know you have gotten alot of responses but I thought I would put my two cents in. Natren makes a clinically proven probiotic for children calleed life start. It can be taken with antibiotics. Also chinese medicine treats children's ear infections very effectively without needing to use antibiotics so you may want to keep that in mind.

Warmest Regards,
H. Seay

We used Jarrow for infants and saw an instant result (and continued health) for our daughter. It's a powder & you can put it in with their food or bottle. Good luck!

I've used a probiotic by Jarrow, I've used this one since my son was 6 months old. It is specifically formulated for children, has dosages on the back. Our Wholistic Pediatrician said you can give a probiotic during the course of antibiotics but it must be one with a yeast in it. Regular probiotics are killed by the antibiotic and it causes more debris and toxicicity in the body. So I personally have not had to use the one with yeast so I don't have any brand names for you. If you can't find one with yeast in it I would just wait a couple of days after the antibiotics are done and then start the regular probiotics. Also it usually takes 30 days or so for the regular bacteria in the intestine to come back to normal.

I'd just stick with organic whole milk plain yogurt for a baby that young. And yes, I think you could start it while she was taking the AB.

You want a powdered probiotic with B. infantitus in it. Any of the ones from Vitamin Cottage or Whole Foods that meet those two criteria are fine.

You should give her a small dose of the probiotic two hours after each antibiotic dose, and another one right before bedtime.

Good luck!

I would go to either Whole Foods or Sunflower Market(if you're in SLC its on about 6200 S and State across from Fashion Place mall) and ask someone there. I know they have childrens probiotics and my kids eat the FloraBear tablets, but they're significantly older than your little one!
Bio-K has been previously mentioned. It comes in 2 oz shots that are packed with little probiotics! It comes in 3 or 4 different flavors but is still pretty pungent. I'm not terribly picky about taste, but I found it hard to drink by itself.
One thing you may want to consider is yogurt. Against all "normal" medical advice, both my kids started off on this as one of their first foods. I've always given them YoBaby by Stonyfield Farms because its all natural and organic and is made with whole milk, so there is a layer of cream at the top. They make it in quite a few flavors as well as a yogurt and cereal combo. They've both LOVED it and still love yogurt, but make sure to start small and then wait a couple days before giving it again to make sure she's not allergic.
Going to either of those stores you should be able to find a probiotic. If you're worried about thrush your dr can always prescribe an anti-fungal along with the antibiotic, but some drs are reluctant to do so! Good luck!

I gave my son Bio-K probiotic when he had thrush. It is the same friendly bacteria (acidophilus) as in yogurt, but more concentrated. I found it at Whole Foods, which has a pretty huge selection.

Hi M.,
I'm not sure a probiotic would do very well while using an antibiotic. It would have been best to try the probiotic first as that builds the immune system while the antibiotic tears it down and kills both good and bad bugs. Might I suggest a home made mixture that cures a whole bunch of anything that ails you. I use a tablespoon of olive oil, a tablespoon of crushed (fresh if possible) garlic and a tablespoon of coconut oil. Put the coconut and olive oil in a small pot till the coconut oil is a liquid form. Add the crushed garlic and stir. I put the mixture in a small jar and refrigerate it till it gels up. When I need it I'll just scoop out a bit on the end of my finger or a swab depending on where I need it to go. In your baby's case it can be applied right inside the ear. It might not smell so great if you don't care for garlic (though my kids even love the taste)but it has always worked well for us in fighting infections, rashes and mosquito bites etc. The mix is good for up to about 10 days. I do hope you will try this home remedy as I believe you'll be quite satisfied with it although it may work a bit slower then something a doctor would give you. On another note, plain yogurt might be another route as yogurt has numerous probiotics. Blessings, L.

Your a smart mama! You can give her the probiotic while taking her amoxicillian. I have given my kids a liquid form but can't remember the name. It comes in small containers much like a yogurt drink. I would suggest one that has saccharomyces boulardii. You can visit your local health store and they should be able to guide you in the right direction. I would also suggest that you give it to her daily for a month.