Info: 24 g Powder (About 60 Servings)
New! People's immune systems are pretty much a blank slate when we're born, and get built up as we become exposed to micro-organisms: whether the friendly ones in our mother's milk - our main initial source of beneficial bacteria - or the more harmful ones we're exposed to in our environments or during the birthing itself. To tilt the balance in the right direction, this formulation provides a hefty amount of a clinically studied strain drawn from the family most common in human breast milk that's demonstrably capable of supporting a budding immune system, especially against upper respiratory infections and allergies. It's suitable for both newborns and toddlers (up to 36 months old), regardless of delivery method, and can be effective for either breastfed or formula-fed babies or those being weaned off milk to solid food.
Info: 24 g Powder (About 60 Servings)
New! People's immune systems are pretty much a blank slate when we're born, and get built up as we become exposed to micro-organisms: whether the friendly ones in our mother's milk - our main initial source of beneficial bacteria - or the more harmful ones we're exposed to in our environments or during the birthing itself. To tilt the balance in the right direction, this formulation provides a hefty amount of a clinically studied strain drawn from the family most common in human breast milk that's demonstrably capable of supporting a budding immune system, especially against upper respiratory infections and allergies. It's suitable for both newborns and toddlers (up to 36 months old), regardless of delivery method, and can be effective for either breastfed or formula-fed babies or those being weaned off milk to solid food.
Product Notes:
Probiotics are often defined as "live microorganisms that, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit to the host." Although some specific strains sometimes have fairly specific benefits (e.g., Genestra's HMF Baby Drops have been shown to help with colic symptoms), their two main types of broader benefits are to support gastrointestinal health (they help with digestion) and the immune system (about 75% of immune cells reside in the gut, and probiotics can stimulate and protect them in various ways).
This particular strain has also been shown to help in both those areas: but more for relieving diarrhea, on the first score, than chronic constipation (where it did not prove to be effective); and especially for reducing the incidence of upper respiratory tract infections (URTI) symptoms, for the latter. Be advised, however, that it may be more effective on females than males (at least according to an animal studies on piglets).
Related Products: See Genestra HMF Baby B (For Breast Fed Babies) and Genestra HMF Baby F (For Formula Fed Babies).
Ingredients:
Each 400 gram scoop contains:
10 billion CFU (Colony Forming Units) Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis (NCC2818)
Non-medicinal ingredients: Acacia gum (to provide an energy source for the probiotics to help them flourish), as well as these final ingredients used to maintain their viability even in a non-refrigerated environment: maltodextrin, vitamin C, lysine, L-cysteine, L-alanine.
This product has no GMO ingredients and is dairy-free, gluten-free, soy-free, and does not contain FOS (a type of indigestible fibre that's often included with probiotics to sustain them but can produce a lot of gas in little ones).
"HMF" stands for "Human Micro Flora" (that is: this probiotic strain is of human origin).
Suggested Usage:
For Infants and Toddlers (0 to 36 months old): Administer 1 level scoop (enclosed: it holds 400 mg) thoroughly mixed with a small amount of water daily, at least 2 to 3 hours before or after antibiotics (if your child happens to be on those), or as recommended by your healthcare practitioner.
Preparation instructions for caregivers administering it to infants: Wash your hands thoroughly before administering; measure out 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of water and pour it into a sterilized bottle; add 1 level scoop of the HMF Baby Immune powder to it; and shake the bottle well until all the powder is dissolved. Then feed the resulting solution to your infant immediately; if they won't take it all at once, give just a little at a time, but discard any left that's not consumed within one hour of mixing it.
Keep bottle out of the reach of children, and store it in a cool, dry place – avoid extreme temperatures. Keep tightly closed and use within one month after opening.
Warnings:
Do not use HMF Baby Immune if your child is taking tetracycline or has an immune-compromised condition (e.g. lymphoma, AIDS, or undergoing long-term corticosteroid treatment). Consult your healthcare practitioner prior to use if your child has fever, vomiting, bloody diarrhoea or severe abdominal pain. Stop use and consult your healthcare practitioner if symptoms of digestive upset occur, worsen or persist beyond 3 days.
Health Canada Natural Product Number: 80107509.
Supporting Science:
Christoforidou, Zoe et al. “Sexual Dimorphism in Immune Development and in Response to Nutritional Intervention in Neonatal Piglets.” Frontiers in Immunology, 2019.
Dimidi, Eirini et al. “Randomised clinical trial: Bifidobacterium lactis NCC2818 probiotic vs placebo, and impact on gut transit time, symptoms, and gut microbiology in chronic constipation.” Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics, 2019.
Lewis, Marie C et al. “Early intervention with Bifidobacterium lactis NCC2818 modulates the host-microbe interface independent of the sustained changes induced by the neonatal environment.” Scientific Reports, 2017.
Lewis, Marie C et al. “Dietary supplementation with Bifidobacterium lactis NCC2818 from weaning reduces local immunoglobulin production in lymphoid-associated tissues but increases systemic antibodies in healthy neonates.” The British Journal of Nutrition, 2013.
Singh, A et al. “Immune-modulatory effect of probiotic Bifidobacterium lactis NCC2818 in individuals suffering from seasonal allergic rhinitis to grass pollen: an exploratory, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial.” European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2013.
Wiertsema, Selma P et al. “The Interplay between the Gut Microbiome and the Immune System in the Context of Infectious Diseases throughout Life and the Role of Nutrition in Optimizing Treatment Strategies.” Nutrients, 2021.