Supports digestive and immune health in the first months of life.
The stability and composition of intestinal flora plays a vital role in human wellbeing throughout life from as early as birth. Over the past 50 years, several studies have been conducted to evaluate the effect of probiotic administration in paediatric gastroenterology. Many of them have agreed on probiotics being a helpful tool in specific infectious, inflammatory and functional disorders, but it is important to note that evidence indicates strain specificity in each case (Cruchet et al., 2015).
Probio7 Bifikalm is a multi-strain liquid formula particularly formulated to support digestive and immune health in infants. It is also recommended for infants suffering from colic type symptoms, as this formula has shown to significantly reduce excessive crying in colicky infants (Santas et al., 2015). Ensuring a balance of friendly gut flora at an early stage of infant development is recommended to exert a positive influence on overall health throughout an individual’s lifetime.
The scope
Gastrointestinal (GI) or digestive discomfort and disturbances comprise a variable combination of problems or symptoms, with different and mainly unknown aetiologies, that prevail in otherwise healthy young infants (van de Heijning et al., 2014). One of the most relevant and recent data on GI discomfort frequency has been published in a prospective, population-based study, which observed that 55% of healthy infants younger than six months suffer from at least one GI symptom (Lacono et al., 2005).
For instance, infantile colic varies from 5% to 20% (or even 40%) and it is considered one of the most frequent causes of visits to paediatrician in the first 4 months of life. It consists of repeated distress periods of irritability and crying for indiscernible reasons for more than 3 hours a day, 3 days a week and for 3 weeks or more (Hyman et al., 2006), which creates a frustrating situation for parents and caregivers (Cruchet et al., 2015).
Why do some babies require probiotics?
The probiotic balance is instilled in the infant from before birth. The placenta has its own microbiome, which is based on the mothers’ bacterial balance. Further microbiome is picked up from the birth canal, from skin to skin contact and from breast milk. If any of these stages are compromised, the babies’ probiotic balance may become compromised and probiotic therapy may be required.
Improvement of GI health by different mechanisms:
- The ability to displace bacterial pathogens.
- The induction of the production of IL-10, an anti-inflammatory cytokine.
- Homofermentative strains do not produce gas, as opposed to other bacteria.
- The ability to restore the balance of natural healthy gut flora in the intestinal tract by promoting colonization.
Bifikalm key points
- Strains in the formula selected from in vitro and in vivo models
- Effective in modulating the gut microbiota of colicky infants
- Promotes baby’s microbiome maturation
- The strains do not produce gas when colonising the infant’s gut (homofermentative strains)
- Increased production of anti-inflammatory cytokines
- Antagonism against pathogenic bacteria associated with infant colic
- Bifidogenic effect: provides and stimulates the growth of Bifidobacterium while reducing pathogens
- Helps digestion of Human Milk Oligosaccharides (HMO)
- Proven to reduce the time spent crying by 68% after 2 weeks
- Effects observed from the very first day
- Trial efficacy demonstrated both in breastfed and formulated infants