Probiotics for growing needs: Advance children’s health through science and innovation
29 Apr 2025 | Novonesis
Children often experience health challenges due to immature immune systems, close contact in group settings, and environmental exposure. In this landscape, probiotics are emerging as a promising avenue for supporting children's health and enhancing their wellbeing.
From nurturing gut balance to bolstering immune resilience and promoting skin health, Novonesis, a leading provider of clinically proven probiotics, offers a diverse range of scientifically documented solutions tailored to the fast-expanding children’s health market.
Join this webinar to learn more about the latest science, innovation and application formats within probiotics for kids and adolescents, empowering proactive approaches to mitigate childhood health hurdles.
Hello and welcome to today's webinar titled Probiotics for Growing Needs, Advanced Children's Health Through Science and Innovation by Novaises.
My name is William Bradford Nichols and I'm the editor of Nutrition Insight, a world-leading B2B news and insights website published by CNS Media.
We are joined today by our expert speakers, Ana Karinari, Novanises' Global commercial Industry Manager for infant, Children and Women's Health.
And Doctor Stina Nina Niel Hansen, global scientific advisor at Novenices.
Stina connects scientific and commercial teams in infant and children's health.
She earned a PhD in personalized medicine and completed her postdoctoral research at the University of Copenhagen.
Anna Karina oversees the development of product solutions for all life stages and supports global customers in launching new business opportunities.
She holds an MSC in Marketing and Economics and has over 20 years commercial experience in her field.
It's great to have you both here.
In a short while, we will explore some of our latest innovations or some of Novanesis' latest innovations, trends, applications for probiotics, and how they can address children's specific needs.
Following our speakers' presentations, we will have a Q&A session.
The webinar will also be available on-demand on NutritionInsight.com and the link to view the on-demand webinar will be emailed to you after its conclusion.
With that said, let's begin today's webinar with our speakers' presentations before we round off with our Q&A session.
Over to you, Anna Karina.
Hi everybody and thank you for joining us today.
I'm Anna Karina and I'm Steven.
We're excited to have you here as we dive into the world of probiotics for infants and children with the headline, probiotics for growing needs.
Advancing health from infancy to adolescence.
We'll speak about the rapid growing market which holds a lot of opportunities and we will present Novanessa's broad portfolio for infants, toddlers, children and adolescents.
Let me start by giving a quick overview of what we'll be covering in today's session.
We'll begin with a brief introduction to who we are at Novanessis, and if you're new to Novanessis, this will give you a good foundation for the rest of the session.
Next, we'll take a closer look at the current market landscape, first for probiotics in general, and then we will zoom in on probiotics specifically targeted young individuals.
We'll also share some compelling consumer insights and trends that are shaping demand from infancy through adolescence.
And finally we will walk you through our specialized and clinically documented probiotic portfolio designed specifically for the needs of younger consumers.
Here we will further deep dive into 4 probiotic solutions, and please also feel free to ask any questions you might have in the chat.
And we will make sure to address as many as possible during our live Q&A at the end of this presentation.
So let's get started First, a quick word on who we are as nobosses, as we are still a rather new company and you might not be so familiar with us yet.
Novonessis was formed last year and it's the result of a powerful merger between the two long-standing innovation-driven companies, Christian Hansen and Novoscis.
Together we as Novenesses have more than 100 years of experience and innovation as our foundation.
And it's just the beginning.
As a world leading company, we are committed to delivering transformative biosolutions that safeguard our planet, improve health of life, and advance innovation in health and nutrition.
Looking at the size of the dietary supplement market, it's expected to grow 5% over the next 5 years.
If we then look at the probiotic market specifically, we see an even higher growth.
The market size of probiotics is expected to grow 6% over the next 5 years.
We're seeing the same positive momentum in the infants and children's category, a category that's been one of our key focus areas in novonesses for several years.
The infant early life nutrition and dietary supplement space has received significant attention over the past years.
It's a established area with strong industry focus, ongoing innovation, and increasing awareness.
This growing awareness is also reflected globally, so most recently with the WHO's 2025 year-long campaign on maternal and newborn health.
This campaign emphasizes the continued importance of early life health, further reinforcing how recognized and supported this area has become.
And with that in mind, I will now show how the kids' market is starting to gain momentum.
Emerging as a key area of awareness and growth, so let's zoom in on the probiotic market for children's health specifically.
We see three major trends a fast growing market with a high consumer engagement, and probiotics as a highly recognized solution in the dietary supplement space.
Also how personalized health benefits of diversification.
So let's have a closer look.
The probiotic market for kids is witnessing substantial growth, where children's supplement is projected with a growth rate of 9%.
And this is a speed up compared to previous years.
The growing awareness of the importance of health, particularly the benefits of probiotics for children's -being, is a key driver of the market growth.
Additionally, we see a focus on natural products which further positions the supplement market as a key market for probiotics.
When looking at children's products, it's also reflected with a very high consumer engagement.
Compared to all probiotics products, on average, kids' products tend to have twice the number of reviews per product, emphasizing a very high interest.
Parents are increasingly aware of how probiotics can benefit their children's health.
At Novanessis, we always start with the consumers and understanding their needs.
An internal consumer study showed that 2/3 of parents know about probiotics, making it one of the most recognized supplement ingredients.
Further, the survey found that out of those who buy supplements for their children, probiotics are revealed as the second most commonly used supplement ingredient.
As the market matures, we are seeing a shift from general supplements to more targeted and tailor-made offerings.
There's a rising awareness that one size doesn't fit all.
And even though some health areas are similar to adults, it's also important to recognize that children have unique needs.
Also considering their microbiome is different from adults, especially during the first years of life.
At Novanessis we are proud to offer a broad range of clinically documented solutions addressing the variety of health needs spanning from infancy to adolescence.
In this slide you see our range of probiotic strains which has been scientifically documented in infants and children with either one or more clinical studies.
Getting children to take their supplements can sometimes be a challenge, which is why we know that the right format can make all the difference.
So at Novanessis we offer a broad range of options to cater to both infants and children's preferences and encourage consistent use.
Further, all our probiotics can be combined with other active ingredients, flavors and colors to make it even more tailored and fun.
So now I will hand over to Stina who will dive into our portfolio and the science.
Thank you and Katrina.
The development of the gut microbiome begins at birth, and the most critical window for establishing a resilient and diverse microbial ecosystem is during infancy and early childhood.
In this period, several factors will influence how the microbiota is seeded and evolves.
One key factor is delivery mode, as the vaginally born infants are exposed to beneficial maternal microbes during birth, and C-section delivered infants often show a delayed and different microbial composition.
Another key factor is early life nutrition.
Breast milk supports beneficial bacteria not only through nutrients but also through human milk oligosaccharides or HMOs.
These unique prebiotics promote specific beneficial bacterial strains such as the infant type bifiro bacteria, and studies even indicate that HMOs also have direct beneficial effects on the infant and potentially also beyond infancy.
Yet a key factor is antibiotic use.
While sometimes necessary, antibiotics can disrupt microbiota development and reduce microbial diversity, especially if repeated courses are given.
And finally, environmental exposure, whether the child attends daycare, has siblings, pets, or grows up in an urban versus rural setting, all impact microbial exposure and development.
Together these factors influence not just gut health but also how the immune system matures, since about 70% of the immune cells are located in the gut, and this is why a supported microbiome in early life may contribute to long-term health resilience while disruptions in this critical period may be linked to increased health challenges later in life.
When we translate all of this into real world data, it's clear that many infants face challenges from the very beginning.
Globally, 1 in 5 babies are born by C-section.
Less than 50% of infants are exclusively breastfed for the recommended 1st 6 months, and antibiotics remain widely used in early life.
And it's rather evident that the modern environment presents several conditions that likely influence infant goat microbiome development.
Altogether these common realities underline why supporting the developing microbiome early on is more relevant than ever.
But while supporting microbiome development early in life might lay a vital foundation, the journey doesn't stop there.
Infants and children continue to face daily challenges that test their developing systems and they are especially prone to challenges such as gastrointestinal upsets or respiratory discomforts.
This is partly due to the immature immune system, which is still learning to differentiate between harmful and harmless stimuli.
And at the same time they are often exposed to a wider range of microbes in group settings like nursery, daycare, kindergarten, or school, increasing the load on their developing immune and digestive systems.
Common childhood concerns like dry, itchy, and irritated skin also often arise during these years, again reflecting a close relationship between the skin, the immune system, and the microbiota.
And as children continue to grow, another area of importance emerges the connection between the gut and the brain, often referred to as the gut-brain axis.
This bidirectional communication means that gut discomforts may influence emotional -being, and vice versa.
Emotional challenges may impact gut function.
All of these factors, from immunity to digestion, skin health, and even emotional resilience are interconnected and influenced by how the microbiota is supported throughout growth and development, and this, together with the critical window during infancy and early childhood, points to a clear opportunity.
By supporting the gut microbiota during these critical developmental stages, we may help maintain balance and resilience during a period of rapid growth and change.
This is where dietary supplementation with characterized probiotic strains can offer gentle microbiome friendly support, always tailored to the needs of the specific age group and health area.
Now that we've explored the foundational role of the microbiome and the real world challenges infants and children face, let's take a closer look at our probiotic portfolio and how it supports different needs throughout childhood.
This table gives a high level overview of our clinically substantiated solutions for infants and children organized by age group and health area.
Many of you will already be familiar with our two hero strains, the BB12 B lactic probiotic strain and the LGG Lhanosis probiotic strain, which have clinically demonstrated benefits across multiple age groups and multiple indications.
The BB12 probiotic strain has been clinically shown to reduce excessive crying and fussing in early infancy.
And most recently to support regular bowel movements in infants, toddlers, and children.
In combination with the LGG probiotic strain, it also promotes skin health in infants and toddlers.
The LGG probiotic strain has demonstrated benefits in reducing occasional soft stools from infancy through childhood as as easing respiratory discomfort in toddlers and children.
And when combined with another of probiotic strains, LKCI 431 plus arginine, it contributes to oral health in children.
We also offer two symbiotic solutions with HMOs supported by both clinical and pre-clinical data to broaden the scope of microbiome support.
In the next and final part of today's presentation, we'll focus in more detail on four of our newest probiotic solutions the infant type bifidobacteria Istilos B.
Infantis, the PPLP 217 L planarum probiotic strain, the combination of the DDS-1 L acidophilus and UABLA-12 Blacti probiotic strains, and the IBMB longum probiotic strain.
Each of which addresses distinct health needs across different stages of childhood with some overlap.
The Istela B infentis probiotic strain is one of the dominant infant type bifidobacteria found in the healthy gut of breastfed infants, and it has been clinically demonstrated to correlate with health benefits in newborns.
It stands out for its exceptional ability to utilize human milk oligosaccharides HMOs.
In vitro studies have shown that when metabolizing the fucusylated HMOs, the Istela strain uniquely produces 1-2 propandiol, a metabolite that serves as a valuable energy source for other beneficial bacteria in the infant gut, especially those involved in butyrate production.
Butyrate is an important short chain fatty acid with multiple health benefits.
Additionally, Estelas produces aromatic lactic acids which are bioactive metabolites increasingly recognized for their role in early immune system training and intestinal development.
These compounds may help modulate local immune responses and contribute to maintaining intestinal barrier function.
In a multi-strain clinical study in newborns, the Island strain was shown to successfully colonize the infant god even 2 weeks after supplementation had ended.
Which demonstrates its ability to persist in the early god environment.
And interestingly, the presence of the strain correlated with increased levels of acetate, yet an important short chain fatty acid.
Acetate is known to help lower gut pH, which creates a more selective environment that may discourage the growth of potentially harmful bacteria while supporting beneficial bacteria.
And finally, is thelos correlated with less frequent though still normal bowel movements in infants.
This pattern may be beneficial in reducing the likelihood of diaper rash and other irritations while also being appreciated by caregivers for its practical advantages altogether.
The probiotic strain Isilla bean fenceis represents a highly relevant probiotic solution for supporting the early development of the infant microbiome while contributing to gut comfort and immune system maturation.
The probiotic PPLP 217 is a unique L planarum strain that has been clinically investigated in both published and patent application trials, demonstrating beneficial effects on health, height, and weight in infants and toddlers.
It is noteworthy that this strain demonstrates the ability to utilize specific human milk or ligosaccharides, which suggests a strong adaptation to the infant gut environment and an ability to thrive in early life conditions.
In clinical studies, the PPLP 217 strain has been shown to support a healthy gut microbiome by promoting the growth of beneficial bacteria and helping reduce populations of potentially undesirable microbes.
These shifts in microbial composition align with observed clinical benefits where the strain has been demonstrated to help reduce both respiratory discomforts and gastrointestinal challenges such as occasional soft stools.
Interestingly, PPLP 217 has also been associated with improved microbial sensitivity during interventions in clinical trials, a reduced presence of microbial features that are typically associated with reduced intervention efficacy was observed.
This suggests that the strain may help maintain a microbial environment that responds more favorably during periods of intervention, an increasingly important consideration in pediatric care.
But perhaps most strikingly, the PPLP 217 strain has demonstrated significant effects on healthy physical development across studies.
It has been shown to support both healthy height and healthy weight in infants and toddlers, highlighting its potential role not just in supporting gut or immune function, but in contributing to overall healthy growth during these critical early years.
Taken together, the PPLP 217.
Probiotic strain offers a comprehensive approach to early life support, promoting a balanced microbiome, aiding digestive and respiratory comfort, supporting a more responsive microbial environment, and contributing to healthy growth outcomes.
It's a gentle yet powerful tool for supporting infants and toddlers during a period of rapid development and microbial sweeping.
The combination of the DDS-1 and UABLA-12 probiotic strains brings together two documented strains.
The DDS1 strain is one of the most studied acidophilus strains and among the first to be introduced for dietary supplementation.
The UABLA 12 strain is a versatile probiotic with clinically supported benefits across different life stages.
In combination, these two strains have been demonstrated to provide significant support for skin comfort and relief in toddlers and young children.
Together, the two probiotic strains have been shown to help reduce the overall area of dry, itchy, and scaly skin.
This effect is accompanied by a marked decrease in the degree of discomfort, helping to soothe the skin.
Itching was also significantly reduced, and this improvement was accompanied by better sleep quality.
And beyond physical relief, this probiotic combination has also been shown to support emotional and practical aspects of daily life.
Improvements were seen in quality of life metrics including a reduced negative impact on family -being, highlighting how managing skin discomforts can create relief not just for the child but for the whole household.
Additionally, there was a notable decrease in the need for standard topical interventions, suggesting that this probiotic approach may serve as a gentle microbiota supportive complement to existing care routines.
Altogether this documented probiotic combination of DDS1 and ULBLA-12 probiotic strains offers a holistic approach to supporting skin comfort, soothing physical discomforts, while also helping improve daily life for both the child and the caregiver.
The IBMB longgu probiotic strain has been extensively studied for more than 2 decades and is supported by both clinical trials and real-world data.
It is a documented strain with significant benefits in areas related to gastrointestinal comfort and overall -being in children and adolescents.
One of the most compelling features of the IBME probiotic strain is how it supports the delicate balance between the gut and the brain, what we often refer to as the gut-brain axis.
By helping to ease digestive discomfort, this strain may also indirectly support emotional -being and quality of life, especially in growing individuals who are navigating both physical development and emotional changes.
Supplementation with the IBE strain has been shown to enhance overall -being by addressing multiple aspects of gut-related challenges.
These include reducing the frequency and degree of digestive discomfort, helping to alleviate sensations of abdominal distention, and promoting more satisfying and consistent bowel habits.
Importantly, this strain has also been shown to support a lower perceived impact of gut discomfort on daily activities, an area that reflects not just physical relief but emotional and social ease as.
Whether it's participation in school, sleep, play, or simply feeling at ease, the improvements observed highlight a broader benefit beyond the digestive system itself altogether.
The IBME probiotic strain offers a gentle and tolerated way to support digestive comfort and emotional -being, reminding us just how interconnected these systems are and how microbiota friendly solutions can make a real difference in the everyday lives of children and adolescents.
And with this, I'll give the word back to Anna Karina.
Thank you, Estina.
And thank you all for listening in today.
We hope we've been able to inspire you and spark some new ideas.
We'll be open for a live Q&A shortly, but first, a short sum up.
So if you've seen, the market for probiotics targeting infants and children and adolescents is not only growing, it's evolving rapidly.
Consumer interest is strong, and the demand for scientifically backed age-specific and tailor-made solutions continue to rise.
This makes an exciting space full of future opportunities.
At Novanessis we're proud to offer a broad and diverse probiotic portfolio that supports health from the very first days of life and through adolescence, covering a wide range of health areas and needs.
So if you're curious to learn more also about our products, partnerships, or the science behind our solutions, we'd love to continue the dialogue, so please don't hesitate to reach out.
And I think with that we're now open for questions.
A big thanks to our speakers for their insightful presentations.
I'll now host our Q&A session with our experts.
Before we begin, I'd like to remind our viewers that the webinar will be available to watch on-demand on nutritionInsight.com, and that a link to view the on-demand webinar will be emailed to you after its conclusion.
Some great questions have already been submitted, and if it's OK, I'd like to choose some questions specifically for the two of you.
So let's get started.
Our first question, submitted by one of our users, I think would be great for you, Ana Karina.
Our user asks, or our viewer asks, what are some of the biggest challenges brands face when launching probiotic products for kids?
And how do you support them?
Thanks for the question.
OK, so, one key challenge would be to navigate the regulatory landscape and secure regulatory compliance.
Another challenge is earning consumers' trust.
So, parents tend to be highly selective when it comes to products for their children.
So they are looking for probiotic products that are both safe and proven to be effective.
And then I would also mention the technical challenge of ensuring the stability and viability of probiotic strains across different product formats and throughout shelf life.
And at Nova Neis, we support our customers by offering our expertise in several areas.
Most importantly, we prioritize ensuring the highest standards and safety and quality in our products.
So naturally, we offer clinically documented strains to support strong evidence of the efficacy.
Further, our products, are offered in various quality grades tailored to the intended end use, and our high quality control measures become increasingly stricken as we move from adult applications to those for infants.
We also support application development, guiding our customers from product formulations and appealing formats, while also providing regulatory guidance.
And then in addition, we can support customers in shaping consumer communication, sharing our insights into market developments, emerging trends, and also relevant consumer behaviors.
So, In essence, we guide customers from idea to launch with a holistic approach, from strain to solution, I would say.
Oh, very thorough.
Thank you for that.
Sina, we have another question and I think that one would be good for you.
Our viewer asks, what are some of the challenges in designing clinical trials, especially for pediatric probiotics?
Hm, that's, that's a good question.
So, kids, infants and children aren't just small adults.
So designing pediatric trials means tackling, ethical constraints of viable microbiota due to age and diet, and subjective outcome message.
It could be like mood, sleep, And , and, and the recruitment can also be tough, especially when parents are wary of interventions.
And that's why we often rely on non-invasive endpoints and validated parent-reported outcomes paired with objective biomarkers when, when it's possible.
It's all about designing trials that are safe, that are meaningful, and that are practical, and then, and that's, that's also why we at Dominosis often partner with the pediatric hospital departments, when we're conducting our clinical trials.
So we ensure that, that our research is grounded in clinical expertise, child-centered care, and, and also, of course, real-world relevance.
Wow, very interesting.
I, I believe I have another question for you as , Tina.
You wanna ask, how do you evaluate strain compatibility when combining multiple probiotics within formulations?
Yeah, strain compatible comparability is, of course, very crucial, because not all strains play together.
So we conduct in vitro analysis, to understand potential interactions, such as competition for nutrients, antimicrobial, activity, and, and, and metabolic crosstalk.
We also evaluate growth kinetics, and we ensure the strains don't inhibit each other's survival and function.
And in some cases, combining strains actually enhances outcomes.
We have, for example, seen that with our inf infant symbiotic solution that we, talked about in the webinar, including the BB12 Blacti strain, the Istila B infensive strain, and the 2FL, the human milk leukosaccharide.
But formulation should never be random.
It must be intentional and it must be evidence-driven.
And here, maybe I can just briefly mention our fantastic colleague, Tim Tu.
Tim Tu is our artificial gut.
It's a system that realistically simulates the conditions in the lumen of the infant large intestine.
And, and in this model, we can load infant fecal samples, and then we can add probiotics, prebiotics, and other components to observe, how they influence the microbial, profile.
And this gives us a, a super powerful tool to study, for example, is brain interactions in a highly relevant environment.
Fascinating.
Thank you for that.
And that really goes back to what Ava Karina was saying about parents being very picky for their children and wanting seriously science-backed and clinically affirmed ingredients.
That's, that's exciting.
I have, I have 4 children and I know that I don't just trust anything for them.
So, , yeah, that's really good to know.
Speaking of you also Ana Karina, I believe we have, about time for one more question.
And I think this one would work for you.
Our viewer ask, how do you see the role of probiotics evolving in the broader children's health market over the next 5 years?
Yeah.
So this is also a very great question, I would say.
I would believe that during the next 3 to 5 years, we anticipate that probiotics will play an, an increasingly central role in the broader children's health market.
Because we're starting to see that probiotics are transitioning from being nice to have to be a more essential part of children's health supplements routines.
Further, we expect that we will see a shift towards more personalized and condition-specific solutions, and not only for digestive and immune health, but also within areas like skin health, sleep, cognition, emotional -being.
Areas where no oneness is actually also innovating and, and already offers solution, as you've just seen in, in the webinar.
Further, I would say that brands that can connect probiotic strains with specific outcomes backed by solid science will also be leading the way in the children's probiotic market, as mentioned earlier and as you also mentioned, it's been mentioned a few times, that quality and safety is especially important for this, target group.
And, and then I will also say that, we see a development within formats, and foresee that they will evolve to reflect lifestyle like daily stick packs, chewables, gummies, but also probiotic-infused, drinks and snacks.
So, the rapidly evolving children's category, with increased awareness, as we told you in, in the webinar, also hosts, many growth, great growth opportunities, I would say.
And, and it's a very exciting time for innovation within this field.
And it has been an exciting webinar.
And unfortunately, that is all the time we have for today.
Any questions not covered by our speakers can be answered via email by them following the webinar.
And, speaking of our speakers, I'd like to thank both of you, for sharing your insights and offer a big thank you to all of our viewers around the world for joining us today.
Goodbye for now.
Global Commercial Industry Manager
Global Scientific Advisor
Platform Editor
Anne Karina Riise
Global Commercial Industry Manager
Stine Ninel Hansen
Global Scientific Advisor
William Bradford Nichols
Platform Editor
