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Dec 09, 2023

7 of the Best Probiotics for Kids, According to Dietitians

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Whether you want to promote a strong immune system or boost good gut bacteria, you may want to check out these kid-friendly probiotics.

While probiotics are often touted as potentially beneficial for adults, research has also shown that they may benefit children (1).

Much like they do in adults, probiotics may help support a child's digestive and immune health or address specific concerns such as constipation and acid reflux (2, 3, 4).

The best probiotic to choose for your child, however, will largely depend on their needs.

If you’re considering probiotics for your kids , it's important to speak with their pediatrician first.

Once you’ve both decided that probiotics are right for your child, consider these 7 options.

The products included in this article were selected based on the following criteria:

Additionally, every brand and product on our list has been vetted to ensure that it aligns with Healthline's brand integrity standards and approach to well-being. Each product in this article:

General price ranges with dollar signs ($–$$$) are indicated below. One dollar sign means the product is rather affordable, whereas three dollar signs indicate a higher cost.

Generally, prices range from $0.22–$1.00 per serving, or $12.99–$30.99 per container, though this may vary depending on where you shop.

Pricing guide:

Note that dosing recommendations range from 1–3 doses per day, depending on your child's age and the advice of a healthcare professional.

Thus, a product that requires fewer doses per day may be comparatively cheaper, despite having a higher price per count, than a product that requires more doses per day.

Designed for children ages 2 and up, these BerryDophilus chewables combine 10 probiotic strains to support digestive health and strong immune systems.

To maintain their potency, it's best to keep these chewable tablets in the fridge.

Kids will enjoy the fun animal shapes and natural berry flavor. Plus, the tablets are naturally colored using beet powder.

While these probiotics are free of added sugar, they do contain xylitol, so it's important to keep them away from dogs (5).

Made with 3 billion cultures and six strains of probiotics, this berry-flavored probiotic supplement is designed to help reduce occasional digestive imbalances and support immune health.

Renew Life Kids Probiotic is free of sugar, dairy, and gluten. It also contains no artificial flavors, colors, or sweeteners.

Plus, it's shelf-stable, so refrigeration is optional.

According to the company's website, Renew Life Kids Probiotic is rigorously tested multiple times throughout the manufacturing process to ensure purity and potency. However, the product is not tested by a third-party lab.

These strawberry-flavored gummies are free of artificial sweeteners and formulated to provide daily immune support for your child.

They contain prebiotics and a blend of two strains of probiotics, including Bacillus coagulans, which has been shown to support immune function and enhance digestive health (6).

Additionally, each batch is free of allergens and has been third-party tested for safety, strength, and purity.

This supplement is appropriate for children ages 3 and up and should be taken twice daily with food.

These berry-flavored gummies are an easy and effective way to boost your little one's intake of probiotics and an assortment of other essential vitamins and minerals.

Free of gluten, artificial sweeteners, and preservatives, OLLY Kids Multi + Probiotic gummies are formulated to support natural digestive balance by boosting good bacteria in children ages 2 and older.

OLLY provides a certificate of analysis — a document showing detailed testing results — for all its products. This supplement is also third-party tested to verify safety and quality.

These single-serve packets and aim to support digestion and immune health for children ages 1 year and older.

They contain 5 billion CFUs of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, a strain that may be beneficial for the treatment of diarrhea in children (7).

These probiotic supplement packets can be mixed into cold food or drink once a day and are free of gluten, dairy, lactose, milk, added colors, preservatives, yeast, and soy.

Culturelle products are manufactured in a facility certified by NSF International, a third-party organization that ensures safe manufacturing practices for supplements.

Enjoy 20% off with code "guthealth".

This powdered probiotic has a mild banana flavor and is specifically designed to support healthy digestive bacterial growth in your child.

Garden of Life RAW Probiotics Kids is suitable for children ages 3 months and older and features 5 billion live probiotic cells, 23 raw and organic fruits and vegetables, and prebiotic inulin.

It's important to gradually introduce this into your child's food and drink by starting with a quarter of a teaspoon (0.5 grams) and moving up to a full serving daily.

This product is third-party tested, NSF-certified gluten-free, certified vegan, and certified organic.

Florastor Kids aims to promote healthy digestion in children ages 2 months and up by maintaining balance in the intestinal flora.

While the product's label doesn't list the CFU count, Florastor's website says the Kids Daily Probiotic contains 5 billion CFUs.

Florastor manufactures supplements in a third-party certified facility and adheres to strict standards for quality.

For best results, mix the contents of one packet with cold water, juice, or a soft food like applesauce twice daily.

However, keep in mind that this probiotic should not be refrigerated.

Here is a closer look at how these products compare:

There are several factors to consider when determining which probiotic is right for your child, including:

Keep in mind that probiotics should be used only as recommended by a healthcare professional. Be sure to talk with your child's pediatrician before starting supplementation.

Probiotics are generally considered safe and well tolerated for children when used as directed (8).

However, probiotics may not be suitable for all children, including premature infants and children who are immunocompromised or critically ill (9).

In some cases, probiotics may also cause or worsen digestive issues such as bloating and gas (10).

Additionally, certain strains of probiotics may have different effects on health, and no two children have identical needs.

For this reason, it's best to talk with your child's pediatrician to determine whether probiotics may be beneficial for your child and which specific strains may be best.

Probiotics may be beneficial for some children and could help support the gut microbiome. However, probiotics are not necessary for everyone and may even have adverse side effects in some cases.

Therefore, it's important to talk with your child's pediatrician before giving your child probiotics or other supplements.

Gummy probiotics can help enhance the health of the gut microbiome and are chewable and easy to take, so they can be a good option for many children.

However, it's best to talk with your child's pediatrician to determine whether a gummy probiotic may be beneficial, depending on your child's specific needs.

Also keep in mind that gummy vitamins have a candy-like form that can increase the risk of overconsumption. Make sure to store gummy probiotics out of reach of children (11, 12).

In adults, probiotics have been associated with a wide range of potential health benefits. They could help support immune function, promote digestive health, protect against certain skin conditions, and balance the beneficial bacteria in the gut (13, 14).

Some research in children suggests that probiotics could be beneficial for the treatment of diarrhea, gastroenteritis, atopic eczema, and colic. However, more high quality studies are needed (9).

Probiotics may offer similar health benefits for children as they do for adults, such as supporting healthy digestive bacterial growth and boosting the immune system.

However, before introducing probiotics into your child's diet, speak with their pediatrician to figure out whether probiotics are right for them.