Vilma Rutkauskaitė
Vilnius University Pediatric clinic
Rasa Abelytė
Vilnius University Pediatric clinic
Keywords: probiotics, children, combined preparation.
Abstract. More than 500 bacteria live in the intestine of children and adults and many of those strains are still not sufficiently explored. Some bacteria are harmful for human and cause diseases, other – useful ones – benefit the organism and protect from harmful bacteria. Milk fermenting lactobacteria and bifidobacteria are most explored strains in useful bacteria group. Bifoval Babe (for children) and Bifoval (for adults) contain a combination of specific strains of both bacteria types. This article presents the information about this preparation and bacteria functions.
More than 500 bacteria live in the intestinal tract of children and adults. Micrococci, staphylococci, enterococci and clostridia colonize the intestine of infant after the birth. Bifidobacteria, enterobacteria (E. coli) and lactobacteria appear after that as well. The formation of the intestinal microflora depends on the child nutrition and environment. Bifidobacteria dominate if the child is breastfed because they ferment milk lactose and are the antagonists of other microorganisms [1]. Not naturally delivered children (after Caesarean section) obtain the necessary quantity of bifidobacteria significantly later. The intestinal microflora (microbiota) is very unstable, there are no dominating strains and the quantity of bacteroides, enterobacteria and opportunistic bacteria is increased if the child is fed with adapted food [1]. Microbiota of children older than one year practically is the same as in adults.
Eubiosis of the intestinal flora is very important to the organism health and in case of disbalance (antibiotic therapy, infectious gastrointestinal tract diseases) random microflora start to proliferate and dominate. Protective, immunity strengthening, metabolic functions disappear in case of disbiosis and a person, especially a child, is more susceptible to intestinal infections, immunopathology and other diseases.
