The first 1,000 days from conception is a key period for infant health.
During this time, an infant’s immunity, cognitive development and overall health can be significantly impacted. This window is crucial for key developmental milestones, such as developing a strong microbiome, which is essential for the immune system. Gut maturation, digestion, metabolism, and the nervous system, are also key developmental factors that are shaped during the first 1,000 days.
Healthy growth and development begin with nutrition. The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends breastfeeding for at least the first six months of a baby’s life, followed by breastfeeding in combination with consumption of nutritious foods for at least 24 months.
Breast milk is the gold standard for infant nutrition, containing essential nutrients that support a baby’s healthy growth and development. As well as containing nutrients, breast milk is also a source of probiotics and prebiotics (HMOs) which contribute to the infant gut microflora and helps build an infant’s immune system – critical for long-term health and development.
Studies show that breastfed children perform better on intelligence tests and are less likely to be overweight or obese later in life. Breastfeeding has also been shown to protect against pneumonia and diarrhoea.¹
However, fewer than half of infants under six months old are exclusively breastfed. While breastfeeding is the ideal way to provide healthy nutrition, there are many reasons why it may not always be possible and supporting the mother’s wellbeing is crucial through the early months of motherhood.
Mastitis is the main medical cause for ceasing breastfeeding, with 15% of nursing mothers experiencing mastitis during breastfeeding due to the intense pain and discomfort it causes.² Many countries do not guarantee working mothers the right to facilities and paid break times for breastfeeding, removing the option to choose for many women.³
Human Milk Probiotics (HMPs)
Microbiome colonisation starts at birth and evolves throughout early childhood. Initial colonisation naturally happens through vaginal birth, breastfeeding and environmental factors which introduce infants to Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium. This early exposure to these key bacteria helps train the infant immune system and promote maturation of the gut barrier.
Factors such as c-section delivery, antibiotics, formula feeding and preterm births can disrupt the natural colonisation of healthy bacteria in infants. This results in microbiome dysbiosis, an imbalance which can increase the risk of allergies, obesity, metabolic disorders and colic, among other health issues.
Human Milk Probiotics (HMPs) are the live bacteria, including Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, naturally present in breast milk. In 2000, the discovery of Lactobacilli in healthy breast milk shifted the focus of scientific attention to HMPs and their benefits on maternal and infant health.
HMPs have since experienced a surge in scientific interest, driven by growing awareness of the microbiome’s role in maternal and early-life health and immunity. It is now known that dysbiosis can be restored with HMPs and the administration of probiotics and prebiotics (HMOs) which help to seed an infant’s gut and build a healthy immune system.
Hereditum LC40®: Promoting health in infants and mums
Kerry successfully isolated the first Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium probiotic strains from human breast milk. Hereditum LC40® (Limosilactobacillus fermentum CECT5716) is the first strain isolated from human breast milk that offers a safe and effective way to support infant immune and digestive health.
Hereditum LC40 is free of allergens, and is organic and clinically proven safe for infants and mothers, ideal for early-life nutrition supplements and infant milk formula, as well as supplements for maternal health, offering guaranteed stability in challenging conditions.
For infant immune health and digestive health, Hereditum LC40 is backed by three published randomized clinical studies, one long-term safety study and two meta-analyses demonstrating its ability to restore the natural balance of good bacteria in a baby’s digestive tract to support gut and immune health, with more pronounced benefits for babies born by C-section. It is suitable for use in infant milk formula and supplements at a clinical dose of 200M-CFU.
For mothers, supplementation of Hereditum LC40 is clinically proved to promote breast health and comfort by reducing inflammation associated with mastitis during breastfeeding. The American Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine (USA) added the Hereditum LC40 strain to its latest published protocol for the treatment of breast infection.⁴
Consumers are increasingly aware of the role of probiotics in maintaining immune and digestive health. In women’s health, there is a high level of awareness (69%) and understanding (69%) regarding the connection between probiotics and specific women’s health needs, with probiotics being recognised as a beneficial functional health ingredient.⁵
By aligning a clinically proven, quality controlled and certified product with an innovative, safe and natural way to support infant health and nutrition and maternal health, Kerry is committed to bringing better nutrition to billions, supporting infants and mothers globally with the care and nutrition required for the healthiest possible future.
References
- WHO, 2025. Breastfeeding.
- Tokje.; et al. Women’s experiences of treatment for mastitis: A qualitative study. Eur J Midwifery, 2021; 23.
- Unicef, 2023. Global Breastfeeding Scorecard 2023.
- Mitchell, KB.; et al. Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine Clinical Protocol #36: The Mastitis Spectrum, Revised 2022. Breastfeeding MedicineVol. 17, No. 5. May 2022.
- Kerry, 2023 - ProActive Health Research.
