Which prebiotics are best for baby?

In case of digestive disorders and problems with intestinal microflora, the child is prescribed various medications, some of which are prebiotics. How do they act on the children's body, why are they used and what are they?

The word “prebiotics” refers to various substances that, when released into the large intestine, create conditions that are favorable for normal intestinal microflora. They are not digested in the upper GI tract. Such substances are contained in many foods, as well as are produced by the pharmaceutical industry in the form of drugs (in drops, tablets and other forms).

Prebiotic substances include:

• Inulin;
• Lactulose;
• Cellulose (dietary fiber);
• Pectin and dextrin;
• Lactitol;
• PABK;
• Calcium Pantothenate;
• Galacto-oligosaccharides;
• Chitosan;
• Glutathione, carotenoids, selenium, ubiquinone;
• Sorbitol and Xylitol;
• Raffinose and other substances.

You can find out more about prebiotics in the following video.

In addition, prebiotic substances are recommended to be taken when:

• Hepatic encephalopathy;
• Bowel cancer;
• Hemorrhoids;
• Acute infections;
• Fatty degeneration of the liver.

They are also prescribed as a prophylactic measure to prevent constipation and systemic infections.

• Hypersensitivity.
• Intestinal obstruction.
• Galactosemia.
• Suspicion of appendicitis.
• The presence of blood in the feces.

Prescription of prebiotic drugs for diabetes mellitus should be carried out very carefully.

As a result of prebiotics, the osmotic effect in the liver may appear. Also, there are violations of the enzymes in the large intestine.

Colic, diarrhea, and flatulence are side effects of some drugs with a prebiotic effect, but these symptoms disappear after dose adjustment. Allergic reactions are rarely possible.

WITH probiotics substances with a prebiotic effect are related only by a similar name and a similar effect, since both groups of such drugs normalize microflora in the intestine. For this they are often prescribed in the complex. The main difference is that probiotics are live bacteria, representatives of the intestinal microflora, and prebiotics are chemical compounds that improve their growth and reproduction.

On the role of prebiotics and probiotics in the life of a child, see the video of the Union of Pediatricians of Russia.

To call a substance a prebiotic, it must have such properties and features:

1. It should not be broken down and absorbed in the human stomach and small intestine.
2. It should be used in the vital activity of beneficial microbes in the intestine, affecting their metabolic activity, as well as growth.
3. It should cause a local as well as systemic response of the body, which will result in the normalization of the composition of microflora in the intestine.

Depending on the structure, prebiotics can be divided into:

• Oligosaccharides - these include carbohydrates, consisting of a small number of molecules. These are lactose, fructosaccharides, lactulose, galacto-oligosaccharides.
• Polysaccharides are represented by carbohydrates with a large number of molecules. These are food fibers, inulin.

Prebiotic substances affect local immunity in the intestines, so their use affects the immunity of the organism as a whole. That is why they are recommended to take with infectious diseases and deterioration of the immune system.

Prebiotics have this effect:

• Increase the number of bacteria belonging to the normal intestinal microbial flora, while simultaneously reducing the number of microbes that are considered conditionally pathogenic flora.
• The reproduction of pathogenic microorganisms, for example, Shigella, Salmonella, Listeria and others, is inhibited.
• They help remove excess mucus from the colon, as well as promote faster healing of damage to the intestinal walls (accelerate epithelialization).
• Maintain acidity in the intestines, which is optimal for bacteria representing normal flora.
• Enhance peristalsis and make fecal mass more voluminous, thereby helping to eliminate constipation.
• Remove gases from the intestines and reduce their formation.
• Helps bacteria synthesize vitamins in the intestines.
• Stimulate local immunity.
• Increase calcium absorbability from food by 40-60%.
• They protect the mucous membrane of the colon from damage by free radicals.

One of the important and common prebiotics is milk sugar, which is present in breast milk. It is due to the presence of lactose in the mother's milk, the digestive organs of the infant develop normally, being populated with beneficial flora. Therefore, breastfeeding is an important condition for the normalization of digestive processes in the intestines of a child. If for any reason it is not possible, the infant formula is prescribed a milk formula containing both lactose and other prebiotics.

Useful microorganisms in the children's intestines predominantly consume carbohydrates, which are not absorbed in our bodies, and the pathological flora often feeds on protein, so there must be enough carbohydrate foods containing prebiotic substances in the diet of an older child.Their entry into the intestines will cause the active growth of beneficial bacteria, which will inhibit opportunistic and harmful flora.

Antibiotics prescribed for an infectious disease do not have a specific effect; therefore, they simultaneously inhibit both the infectious agent and the beneficial microflora. That is why antibiotic therapy is often the cause of dysbiosis, and prebiotics help in the resumption of the balance of microorganisms in the intestine. All prebiotics can be taken for a long time until the moment when the unpleasant symptoms disappear and the state returns to normal.

Most of the bacteria that live normally in the intestines of a child use carbohydrates and amino acids for life, so their numbers depend on a sufficient supply of nutrients to the intestines.

Foods contain natural prebiotics in the form of oligo- and polysaccharides, fiber, amino acids and other compounds:

• Dairy products include prebiotic lactose, important for the reproduction of lactic and bifidobacteria in the digestive tract of a child. The first lactose enters the intestines of the baby with breast milk or formula. The benefits of dairy products are increasing due to the fact that they also supply live bacteria to the children's organism that form the intestinal flora.
• Raw fruits and vegetables are rich in fructosaccharides. They are practically not processed by the intestines of a child, but serve as food for beneficial bacteria.
• Root crops contain a lot of inulin polysaccharide. This compound is not just a food for microorganisms in the intestines, but also reduces cholesterol levels, and also improves calcium absorption.
• Vegetables, cereals and fruits are very rich in cellulose, related to dietary fiber. It is not processed at all in the intestines of children, but it is important for the reproduction of beneficial microbes and helps to remove harmful substances from the digestive tract more quickly. Especially rich in cellulose bran, carrots, beans, currants, oatmeal, oranges, prunes, radishes, dill and other products.

Consider in the table a list of the main prebiotic drugs.

If you do not have the opportunity to enrich the diet of the baby with food with prebiotics or violations of the microflora are very pronounced, you should use pharmacy drugs with prebiotic substances. They are indicated for severe dysbacteriosis and complications of diseases of the digestive tract.

For more information about prebiotics and food products in which they are contained, see the program "To Live Healthy".