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Parents have been asking me to digest information they’re hearing about something called probiotics and whether they are safe for children.

Let me see if I can provide some food for thought on this topic.

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Beneficial bacteria

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While some bacteria in our digestive system are dangerous and cause us to get sick, there are other good or friendly bacteria that work in that system to help us stay healthy — they are therefore in favor of good health, or what we call probiotics.

These bacteria make substances that keep the cells in the intestines healthy and fight off unfriendly bacteria, yeast, and molds.

Some of the more common names for these bacteria are bifid bacterium and lactobacillus, organisms that you find in foods such as yogurt, and other foods with a high fiber content such as asparagus, bananas, and whole grains, routinely.

In fact, when your child takes an antibiotic to kill bacteria, often the good ones are killed as well, and it is important for your child to eat foods that contain probiotics to reconstitute the good bacteria back into their digestive systems.

Probiotics, when they do set up shop in a baby or child’s digestive system help to do such things as reduce the risk of diarrhea due to stomach viruses, lower the risk of food allergy, and help premature infants grow and stay healthy.

Some studies published recently suggest that probiotics can even reduce the incidence of the common cold or flu symptoms.

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Safety and side effects

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To date, probiotics appear to be safe when taken as recommended by your child’s health care professional or a nutritionist.

Since they are regulated as food products and not as drugs, there is limited specific data as to what types or doses work best in children and adults.

The only side effects reported largely in adults include mild gas and bloating. If you want to supplement and add these into your child’s diet, there may be cost and taste factors as well.

No one is sure what would happen with large doses of probiotics, but I don’t recommend experimenting.

Hopefully, tips like these will help you sort out the pros and recognize the unknown cons of considering adding probiotics to your child’s diet.

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Lewis First, MD, is Chief of Pediatrics at The University of Vermont Children’s Hospital and Chair of the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Vermont’s Larner College of Medicine. You can also catch “First with Kids” weekly on WOKO 98.9FM and NBC5.