Does My Baby Need Probiotics? What You Need to Know.

As a Lactation Consultant & Childbirth Professional, I’ve spent the past few months researching gut health in infants, and have found out just how important a probiotic supplement is for infants and their tummies.

I’ve heard many mamas ask questions ALL the time like “My baby is healthy, why does she/he need a probiotic?” and/or “Do I need to give my baby probiotics or supplements?” The list of questions always seems to go on and on! So, I’m going to answer that ALL for you with the help of EVIVO, and tell you a little bit more about how the baby’s gut health actually works. All of which will give you a better understanding of gut health, and why a probiotic supplement is essential for infants!

Before I go into depth about Probiotic supplements, I MUST add that human milk is perfectly tailored to the needs of human babies, and it changes as babies grow and their needs change. In addition to this, it’s packed with live disease-fighting cells and other important immune factors. It really is the perfect first food for babies. New research into the infant gut microbiome is giving us even more of a glimpse into why breastmilk is so extremely important.

What are baby probiotics? 

Probiotics are living microorganisms, the good bacteria that live mostly in your gut along with other bacteria, which may not be so good. Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that, when chosen wisely, boost good health in both adults and babies’ guts. There are many types of probiotics that are marketed for babies, but there’s only one baby probiotic that’s clinically proven to reduce bad gut bacteria by 80% and restore baby’s gut to its original state: Evivo. This probiotic is the strain of good bacteria B. infantis that babies require in their gut for proper nutrition and gut health. 

What is Evivo?

Evivo is the first and only clinically proven baby probiotic. Evivo Baby Probiotics is activated B. infantis and works with breast milk to digest special nutrients and crowd out bad bacteria that can be harmful to baby’s gut. It is especially critical to feed Evivo to your baby during the first 6 months of life, when baby’s immune system and metabolism are still developing. 

What are Evivo baby probiotics’ main benefits? 

Some of the many benefits of Evivo include allowing baby to properly digest all nutrients in breastmilk, supporting the proper development of the immune system and metabolism, and an 80% reduction of bad gut bacteria associated with many symptoms like colic, allergies, eczema, diabetes, and obesity. 

What is an infant microbiome?

The term microbiome here refers to the microorganisms, mainly bacteria, that live in and on your baby’s body. Some of the bacteria in our microbiomes are bad and cause disease and inflammation, and some of those bacteria are good, and an essential part of a healthy immune and digestive system. As it turns out, human milk feeds both the baby AND the good bacteria in baby’s gut microbiome. (1)

So, How is Evivo used? 

Using Evivo is as simple as 1-2-3. Once a day, simply take one sachet out of the fridge or freezer and pour into the included mixing bowl. Add a teaspoon of expressed breastmilk and mix with a spoon. Feed the mixture to your baby using the included syringe. (Don’t add to a bottle).  

It’s simple: Pour. Mix. Feed.

Did you know that about 15% of mother’s milk is made up of an ingredient that most babies can’t use? This ingredient is an amazing group of over 180 different specialized sugars, called Human Milk Oligosaccharides (HMOs). The only organism that can utilize HMOs is an important kind of good bacteria that lives in the gut of babies, called B. infantis. HMOs help B. infantis to flourish and crowd out the bad bacteria that have been linked to a higher risk for conditions like colic, eczema, asthma, allergies, obesity, and diabetes. 

In the past, babies received B. infantis from their mothers during birth. However, there have been some shifts in the developed world during the past few generations that have led to a significant change in babies’ microbiomes. Cesarean sections, formula feeding, and antibiotic use have been important medical developments for many families, but they have contributed to a disruption in the transfer of important good bacteria, including B. infantis. (2)

Keep reading for some DISCOUNT codes to save money on Evivo!

Unfortunately, this good bacteria has disappeared over generations due to the unintended consequences of modern medical practices like C-sections, antibiotics, and formula-feeding. While all these practices are important medical advances, they have wreaked havoc on baby’s gut health and 9 out of 10 babies born today are missing this key good bacteria. Without B. infantis, bad bacteria are able to flourish. Good bacteria are critical for the development of a healthier metabolism and stronger immune system. Without B. infantis in baby’s gut, bad bacteria can thrive. Make sure baby is set up from Day 1 with the good gut bacteria needed with Evivo.

That’s why I’m so excited about Evivo! The first and only clinically proven probiotic to help restore gut balance to the infant microbiome, and it’s designed specifically for breastfeeding babies. In a clinical trial led by the University of California, Davis Medical Center, babies that were given Evivo showed an 80% reduction in potentially harmful bacteria such as E.coli, Clostridia, Staph, and Strep and a 79% increase in good gut bacteria. (3) A reduction in the bad bacteria can help lower your baby’s risk of allergies, eczema, childhood obesity, and even decrease fussiness. In combination with your breastmilk, Evivo can help lay the foundation for good health that lasts a lifetime.

To learn more about Evivo, & get your baby started right away click HERE.

My personal testimony—

Since starting EVIVO with my daughter Kylie, I’ve noticed a HUGE difference in her all altogether. She’s having regular bowel movements (no more constipation), no tummy aches, and her overall health seems to be MUCH better. I wish I would have known about how important this was when I first had her, but thankfully I have her on it now and will continue to keep her on it, as the benefits of Evivo are truly incredible! 

Here’s a few discount codes to get you started—To receive $10 off a one EVIVO month starter kit use code BLOG121610 and to receive $20 off a two month or greater starter kit use code BLOG121610.

*This post is sponsored by Evivo, but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

Sources:

Evivo. (2019). Probiotics for Babies. Clinically Proven. Evivo Baby Probiotic Powder.. [online] Available at: https://www.evivo.com/ 

[Accessed 20 Nov. 2019].

[1] Smilowitz JT, Lebrilla CB, Mills DA et al. Breast milk oligosaccharides: structure-function relationships in the neonate. Annu Rev Nutr. 2014;34:143-169.

[2] Fujimura KE, Sitarik AR, Havstad S et al. Neonatal gut microbiota associates with childhood multisensitized atopy and T cell differentiation. Nat Med. 2016;22(10):1187-1191.

[3] Smilowitz JT, Moya J, Breck MA et al. Safety and tolerability of Bifidobacterium longum subspecies infantis EVC001 supplementation in healthy term breastfed infants: a phase I clinical trial.BMC pediatrics 2017 17:133.