After antibiotics, what will make my baby healthy?

Elfrieda - posted on 01/24/2013

Hi. I stopped about a year ago, whten my son was 2.5, because he hasn't really been sick since I started this thread. My thinking is that he has a healthy gut flora right now, so I don't need to worry about it unless he goes on antibiotics again. He does eat yogurt every day.

I don't think there's an age limit for probiotics. I have some myself left over from when I had a yeast infection and was trying to get rid of it without Canesten. They have different strengths for different ages.

If you feel like your sons could be healthier, keep feeding it to them, but if your bottle runs out and you don't feel like it's been making a difference, leave it for a few months and see what happens. That's my opinion.

Virginia - posted on 01/23/2013

Hi , How long should you give your child a Probiotic ? my boys are 5yr old.

Jessica - posted on 05/12/2011

I'm so glad that we were able to help you and your little guy. I know how happy you must be to have a healthy baby!

Elfrieda - posted on 05/12/2011

I thought I'd do a follow-up to this thread. I bought some infant probiotic powder (pricey!) and feed 1/2 tsp to him every morning in his applesauce. He only got a small cold after finishing this round of antibiotics, and now he's been healthy for several weeks! I'm SO happy to have a healthy child for the first time since he turned 1! He'll be 17 months on Friday, and I would definitely recommend probiotics to any baby that has just gone through a round of antibiotics.

Sarh - posted on 04/12/2011

No wheres near as bad as chemotherapy! He should be just fine, just give him healthy food and plenty of fluids. Maybe some oatmeal if he had an upset tummy from the antibiotics... I was always told to give my daughter yogurt w/her antibiotics. She had CHRONIC ear infections!

Heather - posted on 04/11/2011

Probiotics will help restore the good bacteria. You can find them in powdered form in health food stores, Whole Foods, etc. They'll be found in the refrigerated section. We've been giving our 21 month old probiotics since she was a month old. They're excellent for strengthening the immune system, keeping them regular, and many other benefits!

Amanda - posted on 04/10/2011

I give my LOs Danactive immunity boosters on a daily basis, sick or not. They haven't been ill in 3 yrs (my 6 yr old) and 6 months (my 22 month old). I didn't start my daughter until over a year but she started asking for them in the mornings because her brother was getting them and she thought it was a special treat.



Also do some research before buying into prebiotics because in the case of bacterial prebiotics, many of them are killed off and rendered ineffective during high heat processing. Just be sure the product you are planning on using is processed correctly to be effective.

Jessica - posted on 04/10/2011

Probiotics and Prebiotics which you can give WHILE taking the anitbiotics. Your baby needs all the bacteria he/she can get while on an antibiotic (which kills all the good bacteria). You can use organic baby yogurt (we use stoneyfield brand) but I would also recommend that you buy a raw form from a health food store and add the live cultures to food and/or milk.
Also, I would take your little on to a chiropractor as ear infections can be caused by a misalignment in the cervical vertebrae. I have provided research for this as well http://icpa4kids.org/Chiropractic-Resear...
You can also buy a garlic/olive oil mix at a health food store to help with the ear infections.
Hope this info helps your little one :)

Elfrieda - posted on 04/09/2011

Thanks, that was very helpful. He feels so much better after only one day! Yay!



He sleeps a lot normally, more now that he's been sick. 13 hours overnight, with a 3 hour nap. I'm pretty good about only feeding him healthy food, and I have been feeding him lots of yogurt and he has vitamin drops ACD every morning.

My sister-in-law suggested rubbing oil of oregano (diluted with olive oil) on the soles of his feet, so I've been doing that. I haven't noticed any result yet, but it doesn't hurt to try!



I'll check out the willow-garlic ear drops, and the children's probiotic. Thanks again!

Pia - posted on 04/08/2011

You should be able to give him a childrens probiotic when he's finished the antibiotics.
Talk to your pharmacist or dr before starting him on a multivitamin:)
Your poor little man, hope he recovers quickly:)

Melissa - posted on 04/08/2011

Girl, I'm right there with you! Antibiotics have their place, but care has to be taken with how often they're used, especially with little ones. As a third year acupuncture student, we learn lots of cool things to help the body (even little bodies) come back to a state of health (which is where the body is programmed to naturally want to be). So, with some gentle nudging from you, you should be able to help your little dude get over the infection and reinforce his immune system. Here are some of my recommendations based on what works with my son who's 17 months old:
1. Look at his diet. The immune system can fight off infection, allergies, internal disease so much easier if the food being put into the body is wholesome and without toxins. Many foods in this country, especially prepared foods and even fresh foods and frozen produce, have been genetically tampered with. Think corn, soy, milk, meats, eggs, etc. That means that the food is harder for the body to recognize and know what to do with it leading to digestion problems, lack of nutrient absorption, etc. So, even if your little dude is eating a lot, he may not be getting all of the good from the food because the body can't or won't absorb what it needs to. Organic is the word of the day, and of course, that means increased costs at the grocery store. But, the trade-off is that organic food put into the body provides more nutrition, less toxic load, reduces the amount of work the body has to do to digest, and that allows the body to allocate more resources to defending off invaders and keeping internal disease away. So, you're spending more on groceries, but spending less on drugs and sicktime. Ruth Yaron's Super Baby Food is a great place to start for easy, fast, freezeable meals and snacks for babies and toddlers.
2. Look at the sleep schedule. How many hours per night is your son sleeping? Does he sleep through the night, or does he regularly rouse and cry? Does he nap during the day? If so, for how long? How does the amount of sleep at night and naptime compare to what's normal for his age? If there are discrepancies, look at what can be done to help him sleep better. Can he be put on a more consistent sleeping schedule? Sleep-deprived children have less energy to devote to healthy immune systems, and they have less opportunity to rest and repair to fight off pathogens before they become full-blown colds, diseases, or infections.
3. Yogurt -- at least once per day, especially after taking antibiotics to reestablish healthy flora in the gut and curb side effects of diarrhea and constipation. Some other posts have shared this, and I concur. I make my own in a yogurt-maker. Super-simple, and my son seems to like the taste and texture better than store bought. Just make sure it has active yogurt cultures, and it isn't too close to the expiration date as the cultures tend to die off quickly. If your son has milk allergies, consider yogurt made from goat's milk. Over 90% of the world drinks and eats goat products, and other countries have way less issues with lactose intolerance than we do in the U.S. Goat's milk highly nutritious, especially if it's organic, and has smaller fat molecules than cow's milk, which is why some people with lactose intolerance can tolerate goat's milk but not cow's milk.
4. Willow/Garlic Ear oil. You can make your own easily buy looking for recipes on online or buy it online or at your local health-foods store. Herbs for Kids makes a nice blend that comes in a little bottle with dropper. We make it a habit at our house every night after bath and before bedtime to put a few drops in each of my son's ears and plug it with a little cotton. Warm the oil in a bowl of warm water first, and test on inner wrist. Take the cotton out before bed. Your kid will smell like garlic, but the natural antibacterial, antifungal, antimicrobial properties of the garlic will help fend off infection. The warm oil helps lubricate and stretch the ear drum a bit to ease the pain from pressure of pus on the other side of the drum. Use garlic oil regularly to ward off infection.
5. Infant massage. You might be able to pick up a class at your local hospital, or there are lots of books and online resources to get you started. I massage my son for 5-10 minutes each night after his bath. Massage helps prepare him for sleep, but it also helps to move the lymph which is the transport system of the body's immune defenses. Studies have shown that regular massage helps babies grow bigger and resist disease.

There's a lot to think about here, and I'm by no means suggesting that you do it all. I'm just sharing what works for my son and hoping that it gives you someplace to start. Best wishes to you, and I hope that your little boy starts to feel better soon! :-)

Melissa - posted on 04/08/2011

Girl, I'm right there with you! Antibiotics have their place, but care has to be taken with how often they're used, especially with little ones. As a third year acupuncture student, we learn lots of cool things to help the body (even little bodies) come back to a state of health (which is where the body is programmed to naturally want to be). So, with some gentle nudging from you, you should be able to help your little dude get over the infection and reinforce his immune system. Here are some of my recommendations based on what works with my son who's 17 months old:
1. Look at his diet. The immune system can fight off infection, allergies, internal disease so much easier if the food being put into the body is wholesome and without toxins. Many foods in this country, especially prepared foods and even fresh foods and frozen produce, have been genetically tampered with. Think corn, soy, milk, meats, eggs, etc. That means that the food is harder for the body to recognize and know what to do with it leading to digestion problems, lack of nutrient absorption, etc. So, even if your little dude is eating a lot, he may not be getting all of the good from the food because the body can't or won't absorb what it needs to. Organic is the word of the day, and of course, that means increased costs at the grocery store. But, the trade-off is that organic food put into the body provides more nutrition, less toxic load, reduces the amount of work the body has to do to digest, and that allows the body to allocate more resources to defending off invaders and keeping internal disease away. So, you're spending more on groceries, but spending less on drugs and sicktime. Ruth Yaron's Super Baby Food is a great place to start for easy, fast, freezeable meals and snacks for babies and toddlers.
2. Look at the sleep schedule. How many hours per night is your son sleeping? Does he sleep through the night, or does he regularly rouse and cry? Does he nap during the day? If so, for how long? How does the amount of sleep at night and naptime compare to what's normal for his age? If there are discrepancies, look at what can be done to help him sleep better. Can he be put on a more consistent sleeping schedule? Sleep-deprived children have less energy to devote to healthy immune systems, and they have less opportunity to rest and repair to fight off pathogens before they become full-blown colds, diseases, or infections.
3. Yogurt -- at least once per day, especially after taking antibiotics to reestablish healthy flora in the gut and curb side effects of diarrhea and constipation. Some other posts have shared this, and I concur. I make my own in a yogurt-maker. Super-simple, and my son seems to like the taste and texture better than store bought. Just make sure it has active yogurt cultures, and it isn't too close to the expiration date as the cultures tend to die off quickly. If your son has milk allergies, consider yogurt made from goat's milk. Over 90% of the world drinks and eats goat products, and other countries have way less issues with lactose intolerance than we do in the U.S. Goat's milk highly nutritious, especially if it's organic, and has smaller fat molecules than cow's milk, which is why some people with lactose intolerance can tolerate goat's milk but not cow's milk.
4. Willow/Garlic Ear oil. You can make your own easily buy looking for recipes on online or buy it online or at your local health-foods store. Herbs for Kids makes a nice blend that comes in a little bottle with dropper. We make it a habit at our house every night after bath and before bedtime to put a few drops in each of my son's ears and plug it with a little cotton. Warm the oil in a bowl of warm water first, and test on inner wrist. Take the cotton out before bed. Your kid will smell like garlic, but the natural antibacterial, antifungal, antimicrobial properties of the garlic will help fend off infection. The warm oil helps lubricate and stretch the ear drum a bit to ease the pain from pressure of pus on the other side of the drum. Use garlic oil regularly to ward off infection.
5. Infant massage. You might be able to pick up a class at your local hospital, or there are lots of books and online resources to get you started. I massage my son for 5-10 minutes each night after his bath. Massage helps prepare him for sleep, but it also helps to move the lymph which is the transport system of the body's immune defenses. Studies have shown that regular massage helps babies grow bigger and resist disease.

There's a lot to think about here, and I'm by no means suggesting that you do it all. I'm just sharing what works for my son and hoping that it gives you someplace to start. Best wishes to you, and I hope that your little boy starts to feel better soon! :-)

Louise - posted on 04/08/2011

Yoghurt is a natural healer so let him have that. Also look into giving him age appropriate vitamin drops like ABIDEC in his juice. He will bounce back quickly so don't worry to much.

Mimi - posted on 04/08/2011

yogurt