Gut-level cures

Gut-level cures

Eu Hooi Khaw

Dec 03, 2007
NST

(Malaysia, Nov 26) THE incessant crying of a colicky baby often leaves the mother feeling distressed and helpless. The whole household sometimes gets involved in trying to soothe the baby but to no avail.

Now there is an increasing awareness that probiotics (dietary supplements containing potentially beneficial bacteria or yeasts) may help solve the problem by their effect on the balance of good bacteria in the gut.

Paediatrician Dr Yong Junina Fadzil, who has a clinic in Petaling Jaya, has prescribed probiotics for babies with colic and suffering from bloatedness, from as young as two weeks old, and has got positive feedback from the parents.

She also got a mother of a two-month-old child who was crying most of the night, to administer probiotics containing the Lactobacillus reuteri strain of bacteria, in droplet form. The crying stopped; the relieved mother now buys two to three boxes of it to keep in the fridge. The baby is now a healthy four-month-old.

Public awareness of probiotics has been rising in recent years, said Dr Yong Junina. At the same time more people are reluctant to take antibiotics.

Dr Yong Junina has prescribed probiotics for diarrhoea for both babies and their parents. "It's very effective for tummy upsets. If they are travelling I give them (probiotics) to prevent traveller's diarrhoea."

While Dr Yong Junina finds the L reuteri in dropper form easy to use, children above two years may use the capsule form, with the capsule broken to dislodge the contents.

"I have heard doctors using probiotics concurrently with antibiotics. I don't do it unless the parents request for them, especially if the child has diarrhoea. I ask the parents to wait three hours after the antibiotics. I also tell them not to put the probiotics in warm milk as they would kill the bacteria."

As far as she knows, there are no contraindications and no side effects but there is no appropriate dosage for a child or adult. It's suitable for all ages.

"Since more people are aware of probiotics, I don't get blank stares when I mention them any more."

So far Dr Yong Junina is happy using probiotics, prescribing them also for constipation. While she warns about using probiotics in place of antibiotics, in cases where antibiotics cause diarrhoea, she would prescribe probiotics on request. "I usually discuss it with the parents of the child first."

After the course of antibiotics has been completed, the child can carry on with probiotics to restore good bacteria back to the gut.

Dr Azam Mohd Nor, a consultant paediatrician and paediatric cardiologist at Pantai Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur, regards probiotics as "an emerging science".

"It's a very recent thing, as in the last two years we are becoming more aware of it," he said. "Probiotics has been accepted worldwide though it's still very new in Malaysia. From my experience, western parents are more knowledgeable about it.

The strains of good bacteria in the gut help with digestion of food. It's especially good for children who consume milk but who lack the enzyme to break down the lactose in the milk. "This gives them gas, abdominal pain and loose stools," said Dr Azam. "Probiotics helps them to digest the lactose better, these symptoms are reduced and they recover faster."

As probiotics contain live bacteria, they have to be kept at a cool temperature, as in a refrigerator. Parents are told not to put probiotics in warm milk as it will destroy the live bacteria. "It must be taken in cool water," said Dr Azam.

"I use probiotics a lot in treating children with diarrhoea from viral bacteria, or from antibiotics. The probiotics help to reduce the diarrhoea."

He prescribes probiotic drops to colic infants. The symptoms are reduced and the problem gradually disappear.

"I have never seen any side effects; it's very safe to give. I tend to use it for a week or two, sometimes longer. For diarrhoea, I would give probiotics for a week to help replenish the good bacteria in the gut.

"It's not a medication; and could be taken on the long term. But this could be expensive. I've got a child who's been using it for three months now. He was started on it when he was a month old because of colic."

Dr Azam sees a lot of uses for probiotics, including reducing allergies.

A lot of doctors are using probiotics, he says. "Probiotics help normalise the whole digestive system." He has prescribed them to babies as young as two weeks, including one with bloody stools, to 12 years old, as well as the early teens.

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