Moderate evidenceGut health

Children's Probiotics

Kid-dosed probiotic drops and powders, mostly Lactobacillus reuteri or Saccharomyces boulardii. The evidence is strain-specific and situation-specific: useful for colic in breastfed infants and for shortening acute diarrhoea, weak for everything else.

Evidence last reviewed: August 2026

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What the science says

Colic in breastfed infants Moderate evidence
An individual-participant-data meta-analysis of four double-blind trials (345 infants) found L. reuteri DSM 17938 cut crying and fussing by about 25 minutes a day at 21 days, with a number needed to treat of roughly 3 in breastfed infants. The effect was not significant in formula-fed infants.
Preventing colic in healthy newborns Limited evidence
A Cochrane review of six trials in 1886 newborns found the evidence for prophylactic probiotics to prevent colic inconsistent and of low certainty, so giving probiotics to a well baby to avoid colic is not supported.
Acute gastroenteritis Moderate evidence
A network meta-analysis of 174 trials in over 32,000 children ranked Saccharomyces boulardii plus zinc among the more effective options for shortening diarrhoea, by roughly 35–40 hours. However, two large trials in high-income emergency departments found no benefit for Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, so the effect appears to depend on setting and strain.

Dosage & safety

Studied doseL. reuteri DSM 17938: 5 drops (about 10^8 CFU) once daily for 21–28 days in the colic trials. S. boulardii: 250–500 mg per day for the duration of acute diarrhoea. Doses are strain-specific; a product's CFU count says little without the strain code.

SafetyGenerally well tolerated in healthy children. Live probiotics should be avoided in premature or immunocompromised infants, children with central venous lines, and those who are critically ill, where bloodstream infections have been reported. Check for milk or soy carriers in flavoured powders.

Scientific references

Lactobacillus reuteri to Treat Infant Colic: A Meta-analysis
Sung V, D'Amico F, Cabana MD — Pediatrics, 2018
Probiotics to prevent infantile colic
Ong TG, Gordon M, Banks SS — Cochrane Database Syst Rev, 2019
Comparative effectiveness and safety of interventions for acute diarrhea and gastroenteritis in children: A systematic review and network meta-analysis
Florez ID, Veroniki AA, Al Khalifah R — PLoS One, 2018

Where to buy

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