Why baby probiotics are a thing now
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Gut health, a popular topic in wellness circles for years, is now the latest frontier in baby products.
Why it matters: Most U.S. babies lack key gut bacteria, per new research, fueling a boom in new prebiotic and probiotic products — and fresh parental confusion.
The big picture: Unlike adult microbiomes that are already well-established, new research has found that fresh baby guts are quite responsive to probiotics, says Sharon Donovan, a pediatric nutrition expert and professor at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
- Context: Probiotics are the "good" bacteria, and prebiotics are food for these bacteria.
- When infants have enough regular prebiotics — which are found naturally in breast milk — that helps the good bacteria thrive.
What's happening: About 3 in 4 infants had insufficient levels of a bacteria called Bifidobacteria, putting them at risk of chronic disease like allergies and asthma, according to initial baby gut study findings published in Nature Communications Biology.
- Even babies born vaginally and breastfed "have compromised gut microbiomes," says Stephanie Culler, study co-author, scientist and CEO of Persephone Biosciences.
- By the numbers: Researchers analyzed stool samples from more than 400 infant participants. The study is set to run for seven years.
Zoom in: More than 9 in 10 infants lacked a specific kind of Bifidobacterium known as B. infantis, which has "superstar powers," because it's the only Bifidobacterium that can consume all of the breast milk prebiotics, Culler tells Axios.
- It suppresses bad bacteria, and helps the immune system develop properly, she says.
Zoom out: The increase in cesarean sections, formula feeding and antibiotic use over generations could be some of the factors eliminating this bacteria in U.S. babies, researchers speculate.
The intrigue: Although B. infantis has largely been wiped from the industrialized world, high levels of it have been found in Old Order Mennonite and Amish babies.
- And as Americans have overall gotten more allergies in recent years, the Amish haven't.
State of play: A number of formulas include prebiotics meant to support the growth of Bifidobacteria.
- Legacy U.S. formula brands Similac and Enfamil offer blends of prebiotics like the kind naturally found in breast milk (HMOs).
- Newer brands ByHeart and Nara Organics contain an organic lactose-derived prebiotic (GOS).
What's next: More probiotic baby products are coming.
- Brands like BioGaia already sell drops with L. reuteri meant for colicky infants.
- Others, like Evivo, include B. infantis.
- Persephone Biosciences — the company behind the major baby microbiome study — will launch a supplement in September that has both B. infantis and prebiotics.
Between the lines: Probiotic supplements aren't FDA-regulated like infant formula is — and the FDA raised safety concerns about probiotics after a preterm infant died in 2023.
- Although the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) found probiotics were linked to lower death rates in preemies, it says in a clinical report that there's not enough evidence to recommend routine use. The group warns that they could pose risks to very sick or immunocompromised babies.
- The AAP tells Axios it is updating its guidance on probiotics, but hasn't said when it will be released.
The bottom line: Talk to your pediatrician before giving your baby supplements — and only consider products backed by strong clinical evidence and with the specific probiotic strains or prebiotic doses they recommend.
