Whenever a baby cries, it has a very good reason to do so. What most parents don’t know is that in vast majority of the cases their baby cries because of some tummy issues. In the US, each child will have had 7-15 episodes of diarrhea by the age of 5 years, say researchers writing in Scientific Reports whose study finds that supplementing bovine colostrum (BC) helps to prevent future episodes of childhood infectious diarrhea.

What Causes Childhood Diarrhea?

Acute infectious diarrhea, frequently caused by the rotovirus, is one of the more common childhood diseases worldwide, especially in the first three years of life. Nine percent of all hospitalizations of children less than five-years old are associated with diarrhea, and 300-500 children die each year from this potentially preventable condition.

What Is Colostrum?

Colostrum is the golden milky fluid that all newborn mammals receive upon birth in order to fortify their immunity and growth. BC is a source of immunoglobulins that can enhance resistance to the virus. It is available commercially in powder form as a dietary supplement.

Why Colostrum?

In this pooled analysis of five randomly controlled trials, BC consumption correlated with a “significant reduction in stool frequency of infectious diarrhea by 1.42 times per day.” Bovine colostrum intervention also reduced occurrence of future cases of diarrhea by 71%.

The study concludes: “Bovine colostrum significantly reduced stool frequency, occurrence of diarrhea and pathogen detection. BC and related products have a significant benefit in reducing the frequency and relieving the symptoms of childhood infectious diarrhea.”

Giving your baby powdered BC, which looks and tastes like dry milk or a regular baby powder, with their first foods could reduce the risk of this largely preventable childhood disease. Look for a first-milking product that is richest in immunoglobulins that bolster your child’s defenses against the rotavirus, and talk to your pediatrician.