Probiotics for Children: A Simple Way to Support Growing Bodies

September 29, 2025

Probiotics: How Tiny Tummy Helpers Can
Boost Your Child’s Health

Anna Ritan, APD, Paediatric Dietitian and Nutritionist

Inside your child’s tummy lives a fascinating microscopic world, the gut microbiome, where friendly bacteria known as probiotics help support your child’s digestion, immunity, and even their development. Having the right balance of these good bacteria can help shape your child’s microbiome and positively impact their overall health and wellbeing.

So, what exactly are probiotics?

Probiotics are live microorganisms that, when consumed in adequate amounts, provide health benefits . They can support the bacteria that live with us, especially when those bacteria are under pressure from things like antibiotics, poor diet, or travel. Probiotics are naturally present in some specific foods like yoghurt or sauerkraut and are also available in dietary supplements.

Let’s dive into the science-backed reasons why probiotics may be great for kids and how to make sure your little one is getting the most benefit.

Probiotics and Gut Health for Children: What You Should Know

Certain probiotic strains like Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium have been shown to help regulate bowel habits, ease bloating, and help manage digestive discomfort. They may even help little tummies break down food and absorb nutrients more effectively.

How Gut Health Helps Strengthen Your Child’s Immune System

Did you know around 70–80% of your child’s immune system lives in their gut? That means most of your child’s immune “defenders” are stationed right there. A healthy balance of probiotics can help keep harmful microbes in check and support your child’s immune system. For example, Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG has been shown to shorten bouts of infectious diarrhea.

The Gut–Brain Connection in Kids: How Probiotics May Help The Brain and Emotional Health

Surprise! Gut health isn’t just about digestion, it’s connected to the brain, too.

The “gut–brain axis” is a communication system between your child's belly and their brain. Beneficial bacteria are capable of producing neurotransmitters such as serotonin and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which play key roles in mood regulation, memory, and cognitive functions. In fact around 90% of the body's serotonin (a feel-good chemical) is made in the gut!

Why Powdered Probiotics Are a Smart Choice

Probiotics come in various forms, but powder supplements are gaining traction, especially for families and children. Here’s why:

Powders make it easier to give to your child, by mixing into water, smoothies or food without affecting flavour, or efficacy and dissolving easily so even your fussiest child won’t notice.

Many powdered probiotics have less additives, with fewer fillers, binders, added sugar or artificial sweeteners compared to gummies or tablets! So you can feel confident giving a powered probiotic without the added ingredients.

Powdered probiotics have also been shown to keep probiotics in their most potent, shelf-stable form, so more probiotics get to your child’s tummy.

Why Multi-Strain Probiotics Are More Effective for Kids

Multi-strain formulas offer a broader range of benefits by combining different bacteria that work in harmony .

Broader Gut Support: Different strains colonize different parts of the GI tract.
Synergistic Effects: Some strains enhance the function of others.
More Resilient: Multi-strain blends may adapt better to your unique gut microbiome.

You will find the content of these different bacteria listed as Colony Forming Units (CFU), which is the number of live and active microbes in each serving. This number reflects how many viable organisms are capable of forming colonies in your child’s tummy.