Yes, certain infant probiotic drops may ease colic in healthy full-term babies, but avoid them in preterm infants and choose strain-specific products.
Parents ask about infant probiotics when crying stretches on, gas won’t quit, or antibiotics enter the picture. The short take: a few strains show measured benefits for narrow goals, mainly less crying in breastfed babies with colic. Evidence is mixed elsewhere, and safety differs by age and health status. The big red line: preterm or medically fragile newborns should not receive these products outside a specialist’s plan, as regulators have flagged rare but severe infections from live microbes in that group.
Probiotic Drops For Babies: What The Science Says
Research isn’t one blanket answer. It’s strain-specific, goal-specific, and baby-specific. Below is a quick view of where the data lands today, so you can match expectations to your child’s situation.
Evidence Snapshot By Situation
| Baby & Goal | What Studies Suggest | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Breastfed term infant with colic | Lactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938 often shortens daily crying time | Benefit seen across trials and a meta-analysis in breastfed infants; effect size varies. |
| Formula-fed term infant with colic | Mixed findings; some trials show little or no improvement | Outcomes less consistent than in breastfed babies; strain and feeding pattern matter. |
| Preterm or very low birth weight infant | Do not use retail probiotics without specialist oversight | Regulators warn of rare invasive infections and lack of approved products for this group. |
| General “immune boost” or growth | No solid evidence in healthy newborns | Claims are broad; infant studies don’t support routine use for these aims. |
| Prevention of colic | May modestly reduce crying time; little change in how often colic occurs | Prevention data are limited; more research needed. |
How Infant Probiotic Drops Might Help
Newborn guts are still settling. A targeted microbe may nudge digestion and gas handling, and it may tweak how the gut talks to nerves linked with crying. In breastfed babies with colic, the best-studied strain is L. reuteri DSM 17938. Trials report shorter daily crying windows and better “responder” rates, though not every baby improves. For formula-fed infants, results are uneven, so expectations should stay modest.
Safety: The Line Between Term And Preterm
For healthy, term newborns, the strains studied for colic have a solid safety profile in trials. That said, supplements are not sterile drugs; quality varies by brand. In preterm infants—especially those under intensive care—live bacteria can cross into the bloodstream. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has warned of serious infections, including a death linked by genetic sequencing to the organism in a probiotic product. No probiotic is FDA-approved as a drug for infants.
Want an official source to read later? See the FDA’s safety communication covering live-microbe products in preterm babies (opens in a new tab). FDA warning for preterm infants.
When Trying Drops Makes Sense
There’s a fair case to try a strain-specific product in a breastfed, full-term infant with persistent crying that fits colic and no red flags. Think of this as a time-limited trial alongside basic comfort measures and feeding checks. For formula-fed infants, you can try, but set expectations lower and stop if there’s no change after a couple of weeks.
Good Candidates
- Full-term baby with colic symptoms, growing well, normal exam
- Breastfeeding established; no fever, vomiting, blood in stool, poor weight gain, or other warning signs
- Parents want a low-risk, low-cost adjunct to soothing routines
Not Good Candidates
- Preterm or medically fragile infant
- Any infant with red flags: fever, bilious vomiting, poor feeding, weight loss, blood in stool, lethargy
- Infants in hospital care or on central lines
Picking A Product That Matches The Evidence
Labels matter. Benefits hinge on strain identity, not just the species name. Look for full strain codes, a daily colony-forming unit (CFU) count that matches trial ranges, and clean manufacturing details. Skip vague blends that list ten strains without doses.
How To Read The Label
- Strain code: The letters/numbers after the species name (e.g., “DSM 17938”). That code ties to the research.
- CFU per dose: Trials with L. reuteri DSM 17938 often used ~108 CFU daily in colic studies. Brands vary; match the range used in research.
- Serving and storage: Check how many drops equal one dose and whether the bottle needs refrigeration.
- Allergens and oils: Many droppers use sunflower, coconut, or MCT oils. Scan for sensitivities.
Professional groups also synthesize the data and note where evidence is strong or weak. A position paper from the European Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (ESPGHAN) outlines strain-specific use cases in children; it underscores that benefits are narrow and tied to specific microbes. ESPGHAN position paper.
Practical Plan: If You Choose To Trial Drops
Here’s a simple, stepwise approach that respects what the studies show and keeps risk low.
Step 1: Confirm Colic And Rule Out Red Flags
Colic means long crying spells in an otherwise healthy infant. Pain-like crying alone doesn’t prove reflux or allergy. If feeding, growth, and exam are normal, a short probiotic trial is reasonable in term babies.
Step 2: Pick The Right Strain
For colic in breastfed infants, choose a product that lists Lactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938 and provides a clear daily amount per label. Keep the trial tight rather than hopping between untested blends.
Step 3: Dose And Duration
Follow the bottle’s instructions. Trials often ran 21–28 days. Log crying time each day; a simple phone note works. If there’s no trend toward shorter spells by two weeks, it’s fair to stop.
Step 4: Pair With Basics That Help
- Burp well and keep some upright time after feeds.
- Try paced feeds to reduce air swallowing.
- For breastfed babies, watch your own caffeine intake; some families trial a short dairy break if a clinician suspects cow’s-milk protein sensitivity.
What About Risks In Term Infants?
Trials in healthy, full-term babies report few side effects with vetted strains: mild gas shifts and taste aversion are the usual notes. The bigger concerns come from product quality. Supplements don’t undergo the same batch-by-batch checks as drugs. That means variable CFU counts, mislabeled strains, or rare contamination. Buying from a brand with third-party testing, clear lot numbers, and a defined strain helps lower that risk.
Feeding Pattern Matters
Why do breastfed babies show clearer benefit in colic studies? Human milk oligosaccharides act like preferred fuel for select microbes. That may give L. reuteri DSM 17938 a better niche. Formula recipes differ, so outcomes vary. If you bottle-feed, you can still try a short trial, but treat it as an experiment with a stop date.
Strain-By-Goal Cheat Sheet
| Goal | Strain & Typical Trial Dose | Evidence Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Reduce crying in colic (breastfed) | L. reuteri DSM 17938 ~108 CFU/day | Consistent benefit across several trials and pooled data; not all babies respond. |
| Reduce crying in colic (formula-fed) | Strain-specific products; evidence mixed | Less predictable results; stop if no change by two weeks. |
| Preterm infants | Do not use retail probiotics | Regulatory warnings cite invasive infection risk and no approved products. |
Answers To Common “What If” Questions
What If My Baby Is On Antibiotics?
Some parents add drops during antibiotic courses to offset loose stools. Infant-specific data are limited, and products differ a lot. If you try it with a term infant, stagger the drop time away from the antibiotic dose and stop if stools turn watery, bloody, or your baby shows any illness.
What If Gas Or Spit-Up Is The Main Worry?
Probiotics aren’t a cure-all for reflux-like behaviors. Work through feeding volume, pace, and position first. If colic is the bigger issue and your baby is breastfed and full-term, a DSM 17938 trial may still be worth a short look.
How Long Until I See A Change?
In colic trials, responders often improved within 1–2 weeks. If nothing shifts by day 14, end the trial. No need to finish the bottle just to finish it.
Buying Tips That Keep Things Safe
- Choose a product that states the exact strain and daily CFU on the front panel.
- Check for third-party testing or GMP statements from the maker.
- Use within the “best by” window; live counts drop over time.
- Store as directed. Some bottles need the fridge; others are shelf-stable.
- Give the measured dose; more isn’t better.
Bottom Line For Tired Parents
A narrow, strain-matched trial can help a healthy, full-term, breastfed baby with persistent colic. Results are less clear with formula feeding, and there’s no backing for broad claims like better immunity or faster growth in newborns. Steer clear in preterm infants unless a specialist team directs care, and lean on proven soothing basics along the way. For official safety context on hospital use in preterm infants, the FDA page linked above is a solid reference, and ESPGHAN’s position paper provides strain-level nuance in children.