Hyperbiotics Pro-Kids ENT® Probiotic 170 mg (3 Billion CFU) by Vital Nutrients

This is a chewable probiotic made for children, with strains chosen for the mouth and throat as well as the gut. Parents usually consider it for a child in daycare or school, as everyday support for normal immune and upper respiratory health. It is not a substitute for medical care: a child with a fever, ear pain, a sore throat that does not clear or trouble breathing needs to be seen. Check with your child's pediatrician before starting any probiotic.

Each tablet holds a 170 mg proprietary blend of five bacteria: Lactobacillus reuteri, L. paracasei and L. sakei, plus two strains of Streptococcus salivarius, BLIS K12 and BLIS M18. The label lists 3 billion CFU at the time of manufacture and a minimum of 1 billion CFU at expiration. S. salivarius normally lives in the mouth and throat of healthy people, and these two strains make small proteins that compete with other bacteria there. Chewing the tablet puts them in contact with the mouth and throat on the way down.

The label says to chew or dissolve 1 tablet once or twice per day, after brushing teeth, or as your healthcare practitioner directs. Do not give more than that. The label also warns of a choking hazard: the tablets are for children of safe chewing age and older, with an adult supervising. It gives no age in years, so ask the pediatrician whether your child is ready. The tablets are strawberry vanilla flavored, sweetened with isomalt, and list 0 g of sugars. During a course of antibiotics, give the probiotic at least 2 hours away from each antibiotic dose.

Probiotics are well tolerated by most healthy children; mild gas or a change in stools in the first days is the usual side effect. Do not give this product to a child with a weakened immune system, a central line or a serious illness unless the child's specialist agrees, because live bacteria have on rare occasions caused infections in these groups. The other ingredients include natural flavors and a natural lipid excipient whose source is not stated, so if your child has food allergies, check with the maker first.

Keep expectations modest. Studies of S. salivarius K12 in children are small and of mixed quality, and the evidence for the other species here is thinner, so think of this as support for normal defenses, not protection from any illness. Give it daily for 2 to 3 months before judging. Compared with a gut-focused children's probiotic built on Bifidobacterium, this formula is aimed more at the mouth and throat.