World first: Breast milk probiotic launched in Australia
Australian firm Puremedic is employing Biosearch Life’s Hereditum Lactobacillus fermentum Lc40 strain in its sachet supplement called Qiara that is aimed at pregnant and breastfeeding mothers.
Studies have shown that boosting the presence of the strain in forms such as the the once-a-day sachet can boost the immune system of both the mother and infant.
After birth, it can also prolong breastfeeding by reducing the incidence of mastitis – the often painful breast infection and inflammation that afflicts 15-30% of breastfeeding women.
The World Health Organization ranks mastitis as the number one reason mother’s cease breastfeeding.
Qiara is approved by the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) and is being endorsed by some medical professionals as an alternative to antibiotics that have proven ineffective in many instances due to multi-drug resistance in breastfeeding women.
Qiara is also being sold through pharmacies and online.
Mastitis and mother
Mastitis causes pain, swelling, redness, and increased temperature at the breast.
The malady commonly occurs in the first three months after birth but can also affect women at later stages including after menopause.
An over-the-counter supplement containing Hereditum L. fermentum Lc40 is in development by Angelini Farmacéutica SA, the Spanish arm of Angelini Group, will go on-sale in pharmacies in Spain in 2013.
Breast-milked derived L. salivarius and L. fermentum were used in a trial published in Clinical Infectious Diseases in 2010 (50(12):1551–1558) that showed mastitis benefits.
The Puremedic website states: “Supplementation with Qiara equivalent Lactobacillus Fermentum has been extensively tested and trialled in clinical studies with well documented benefits to both mother and baby.”
A 28-day supply can be purchased via the Puremedic website.
L. fermentum has also earned Qualified Presumption of Safety (QPS) status from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
