Breastmilk and Probiotics Help Build Healthy Babies

August 27, 2017

Soon after a baby is born, millions of microbes move in and establish themselves on the skin and in the gut and other organs. These microbes, which are microscopic organisms, come in the form of bacteria, viruses, fungi and more. Creating a diverse and healthy balance of microbes is essential to building the immune system and maintaining good health.

As a baby grows and is exposed to the world outside the womb, there is a balancing act that occurs in the gut. Good microbes help keep bad microbes in check. Recent research shows that a newborn may even temporarily suppress his or her immune system to open a window for good microbes to move in and establish themselves in the gut.¹

The success of good microbes and the balance between good and bad microbes is essential in building a healthy immune system. Breastmilk naturally contains sugars that help feed the good microbes in a baby’s gut.²

This means that a mothers’ breastmilk is key in building a baby’s immune system. In fact, studies show that a number of disease and health conditions occur less frequently in babies who are breastfed. Those include:

Asthma and respiratory tract infections³
Allergies³
Autoimmune conditions³
Prolonged or acute diarrhea or other gastrointestinal diseases³

Probiotics Support a Healthy Gut & Immune System

Like breastmilk, probiotics also help build and maintain optimal gastrointestinal and immune health in both babies and their mothers.⁴ Probiotics are live bacteria and yeast that are the “good” kind of microbes.

Probiotics protect babies from diarrhea causing pathogens.^5,6,7 Probiotics also create an anti-inflammatory environment that benefits the immune system and allergy health.⁶

For mothers, probiotics reduce intestinal gas and incidences of diarrhea.^8,9 Probiotics also help keep a mom’s gut microbes in balance and boost her immune system.⁵

The probiotics in Prenate^® Restore may help build a balanced and healthy gut as well as boost the immune system.

Vitamins for Breastfeeding Moms

Breastfeeding mothers who take a vitamin with probiotics can help themselves and their babies, as such vitamins can build a healthy gut and boost the immune system. Prenate^® Restore is a once-daily vitamin for breastfeeding that’s designed to support the nutritional needs of moms and their babies. Prenate^® Restore includes nutrients such as calcium, vitamin D, DHA and probiotics that help infants achieve optimal growth and promote brain, immune system and gut development.^10-12 Prenate^® Restore is also appropriate for women to take during pregnancy, which means that expecting mothers can start supplementation with Prenate^® Restore before the arrival of their babies and continue taking it through delivery and postpartum. Talk to your doctor to see if Prenate^® Restore is right for you.

THESE STATEMENTS HAVE NOT BEEN EVALUATED BY THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION. THIS PRODUCT IS NOT INTENDED TO DIAGNOSE, TREAT, CURE OR PREVENT ANY DISEASE.

REFERENCES: 1. S. Elahi et al., “Immunosuppressive CD711 erythroid cells compromise neonatal host defense against infection,” Nature. doi:10.1038/nature12675, 2013. 2. Marcobal, A., Barboza, M., Froehlich, J. W., Block, D. E., German, J. B., Lebrilla, C. B., & Mills, D. A. (2010). Consumption of Human Milk Oligosaccharides by Gut-related Microbes. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 58(9), 5334–5340. http://doi.org/10.1021/jf9044205. 3. Hanson LA. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 1998 Dec;81(6):523-33; quiz 533-4, 537. Review. Erratum in: Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 1999 May;82(5):478. 4. Data on file at Avion Pharmaceuticals (MSA). 5. Kalliomaki M, Antoine JM, Udo H, Rijkers GT, Wells JM, Mercenier A. Guidance for substantiating the evidence for beneficial effects of probiotics: prevention and management of allergic diseases by probiotics. J Nutr. 2010; 140(suppl):713S–721S. 6. Huurre A, Laitinen K, Rautava S, Korkeamaki M, Isolauri E. Impact of maternal atopy and probiotic supplementation during pregnancy on infant sensitization: A double-blind placebo-controlled study. Clin Exp Allergy. 2008; 38:1342–1348. 7. Chandra RK. Effect of Lactobacillus on the incidence and severity of acute rotavirus diarrhoea in infants. A prospective placebo-controlled double-blind study. Nutr Res. 2002; 22(1):65-69. 8. Kalman DS, Schwartz HI, Alvarez P, Feld- man S, Pezzullo JC, Krieger DR. A prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel-group dual site trial to evaluate the effects of a Bacillus coagulans-based product on functional intestinal gas symptoms. BMC Gastroenterol. 2009; 9:85. doi:10.1186/1471-230X-9-85. 9. Cui YL, Won FC, Tan DL, Wu SH. Efficacy of Bacillus coagulans tablets in the treatment of acute and chronic diarrhea. Int J Immunother. 2004. 20(1):17-22. 10. Koo WW, Warren L. Calcium and bone health in infants. Neonatal Netw. 2003; 22(5):23-37. 11. Helen IB, Smith L, Saarem K, Saugstad OD, Drevon CA. Maternal supplementation with very-long-chain n-3 fatty acids during pregnancy and lactation augments children’s IQ at 4 years of age. Pediatrics 2003; 111(1):e39-e44. 12. Hurry A, Laitinen K, Rautava S, Korkea- maki M, Isolauri E. Impact of maternal atopy and probiotic supplementation during pregnancy on infant sensitization: A double-blind placebo-controlled study. In Exp Allergy. 2008; 38:1342-1348.