Babies & Children

Preparation

• Best taken with a meal, preferably with breakfast
• Simply mix with your child's favourite cool, non-acidic foods or drinks – try sprinkling the powder over cereal, mixing it with yogurt, or dissolve in water or milk.
• Can be taken with formula milk - simply add to the bottle once it has cooled down to room temperature (as heat reduces the viability of natural bacteria).
• For breastfed babies, powder can be applied to nipple or clean finger for baby to suckle.

Recommended amount

• Give 1 sachet daily.
• If desired or professionally directed, can be increased to 2 sachets a day

Looking for a delicious alternative for children aged 3 years+? Try our new friendly bacteria fruit gummies for kids.

Storage Instructions

Store in a cool, dry place below 25°C and out of direct sunlight.

Customer Questions

All questions answered by Dr. Kate Stephens PhD (Food and Microbial Sciences) BSc(Hons) Medical Microbiology and Kerry Beeson BSc (Nut. Med.) Nutritional Therapist.

What are children’s friendly bacteria?

Live cultures for children are dietary supplements specially designed for use by infants and children. Certain species and strains of bacteria are more commonly found in a child’s gut, such as strains of Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli. High-quality kids’ supplements will contain live cultures which have been clinically researched in children and are particularly suitable for a child’s developing digestive system. Optibac Babies & Children contains strains of Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli which have been researched in children, such as Bifidobacterium breve M-16V ^® 1and Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG.²

How do I choose the best friendly bacteria supplement for my child?

When choosing a friendly bacteria supplement for your child, you need to feel confident that it’s safe, well-researched, and contains bacteria which are suitable for your child's needs. It's best to choose a supplement which has been specifically researched and designed for kids. Optibac Babies & Children is a high-quality live cultures supplement. Collectively these 3 strains have been clinically tested in thousands of babies and children^1,2,3,4,5.

When is the best time of day to give Optibac Babies & Children?

If possible it is best to give Optibac Babies & Children in the morning with the first meal of the day. This is when stomach acidity is at its most neutral, ensuring that the live cultures pass safely through the harsh stomach environment. Giving the supplement with food also helps to buffer stomach acid and helps to assist the transit of the bacteria through the stomach and into the gut.

Can you give a child too many friendly bacteria?

Live cultures are very safe for children^1,2 and it’s not thought to be possible to ‘overdose’ on them. The added ingredient in Optibac Babies & Children, vitamin D, also has a safe upper limit which is many times the level included in this supplement. But in general, it's best to stick to our recommended daily amount of 1-2 sachets, especially if your child takes other vitamin supplements containing vitamin D. If you have any concerns, please contact our nutrition team.

Is Optibac Babies & Children a vegetarian supplement?

Yes, Optibac Babies & Children is vegetarian. There is no dairy present at any stage of the manufacturing, and the live cultures strains are vegan, but the added vitamin D3 is vegetarian. It is also gluten-free.

Is Optibac Babies & Children a good alternative to Biokult Infantis?

If you were previously using BioKult Infantis supplement for your children, you will know that this product has been discontinued. Fortunately, we’ve got you covered! Optibac Babies & Children is an ideal BioKult Infantis alternative, and you may find that your children prefer it. Like the BioKult Infantis friendly bacteria sachets, our Babies & Children sachets contain Fructooligosaccharide (FOS) fibres to increase natural gut bacteria, and vitamin D to support immune health. But unlike BioKult Infantis, Optibac Babies & Children is also dairy-free and suitable for vegetarians.

Optibac Babies & Children doesn’t contain a B. infantis strain or a generic multi-strain live cultures formula. Instead, we’ve carefully selected the three high-quality strains in Babies & Children, including the world’s most researched live cultures strain⁶, Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, because they’re extensively and specifically researched in infants and children.

If your children prefer drops or gummies, then check out our other highly researched, specifically formulated kids’ products in our Shop.

Safety

Live cultures are not recommended for those with serious medical conditions e.g. those who are severely immunosuppressed, have pancreatitis, are in the ICU, have melaena, have a central venous catheter, short bowel syndrome, or patients with open wounds following major surgery; unless under a doctor's care. Keep out of reach of children.

This is a food supplement and is not intended to prevent, treat or diagnose any medical conditions. Probiotic supplements should not be used as a substitute for a healthy lifestyle and varied diet. If you are taking any medications or have a serious medical condition, consult a doctor before use. Optibac Probiotics supplements will not cause dependency and may be used on an ongoing basis.

References

1. Athalye-Jape G et al. (2017). Bifidobacterium breve M-16V as a probiotic for preterm infants: A strain specific review. Journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition, 42 (4): 677-688.

2. Manzoni, P. et al (2011) Routine Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG administration in VLBW infants: A retrospective, 6-year cohort study. Early Human Development (87) 35–38.

3. Wickens K et al. (2008). A differential effect of 2 probiotics in the prevention of eczema and atopy: a double blind, randomised, placebo controlled trial. Atopic dermatitis and skin disease, 122 (4): 788-794.

4. Kumpu, M. et al (2012) Milk containing probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG and respiratory illness in children: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (66) 1020-1023

5. Hojsak, I., Snovak, N., et al. (2010) ‘Lactobacillus GG in the prevention of gastrointestinal and respiratory tract infections in children who attend day care centers: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial’, Clinical Nutrition, 29(3). doi: 10.1016/j.clnu.2009.09.008.

6. Dronkers, T. M. G., Ouwehand, A. C. and Rijkers, G. T. (2020) ‘Global analysis of clinical trials with probiotics’, Heliyon, 6(7). doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e04467.

Ingredients

Stabiliser: maltodextrin (natural source); Fructooligosaccharides (FOS 0.5g); Live cultures: Bifidobacterium breve M-16V^®, Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, Lactobacillus rhamnosus HN001; Vitamin D3 (2.5 µg100IU, 50% NRV*) *Nutrient Reference Value

Each sachet contains 3 billion live cultures guaranteed until the date of expiry.

Suitability

• Vegetarian
• No dairy
• Gluten free
• Yeast free
• Soy free
• GMO free
• No added sugars
• Free from artificial flavourings, colourings and preservatives
• No chemicals or parabens

Customer reviews

• Bought this to try and see if it would help as I suspect that antibiotics given to a newborn don't bode well for long term gut health - and saw this to be the case myself. She's been taking this now for a month and a half and I can say it has helped a LOT. I feel good in knowing we are potentially restoring some of what was lost so early on in her life. I really recommend giving this a try.

  Zazza - 11th August 2022

• Since my older daughter was born 7 years again, I started to buy this product; they work so well. I'm feeding my second daughter with this product again.

  yili Zhao - 27th January 2022

  Verified Customer

• Totally love this product, I have both my children on these probiotics my eldest boy being 6 and my youngest girl being 9 months. It supports both of them with immunity and helps my little girl with wind after her bottle. I put the powder in her last bottle at night and she sleeps through contently. When I have run out previously she has woken several times so I know they must be helping her stomach.

  Elizabeth Parrish - 14th December 2021

Leave a review

UK DELIVERY

Free UK Delivery over £40 

Free standard UK delivery is automatically applied at the checkout when you spend £40.

Standard 2nd class: £2.50

Allow 4-10 working days (Monday - Friday) for delivery; no deliveries on Saturdays

1st class (Tracked): £3.95

Allow 1-3 working days (Monday - Friday) for delivery; no deliveries on Saturdays

Express Next Day (Tracked): £6.95

Order before 2pm for guaranteed next working day delivery to most of the UK*. Orders placed on Friday will be delivered on Monday (next working day). Requires signature.
*Express delivery may exclude the Channel Islands, Herm Island, Isle of Man, Isle of Wight, Northern Irish postcodes BT18 & upwards, Sark, Scottish borders and offshore and a small number of remote mainland destinations as determined by our delivery courier. 

Good to know

• We'll send you an email to confirm once your parcel has been dispatched.
• For delivery queries, please call us on +44 (0)1264 339 770 or email enquiries@optibacprobiotics.com. 
• Orders placed before 2pm will be dispatched on the same working day.
• Delivery within the UK and Northern Ireland has a fixed price, regardless of the size and weight of your order. 
• Delivery times are estimates and not guaranteed unless otherwise stated.

International Delivery

We offer an excellent worldwide delivery service. For more details, please take a look at our delivery FAQ.