The infant formula category has tremendous brand loyalty

Pregnant women and those with babies have a wide range of health needs for themselves and their babies. Pharmacy teams are perfectly placed to support many of these needs and develop loyal relationships along the way

According to the Pregnancy and Medicine Initiative (PMI), 40 per cent of pregnant women take a prescription medicine at some point during their pregnancy, yet many don’t receive the care they need. And 50 per cent of respondents said they would turn to the internet for additional information if they were prescribed medicines by their doctor during pregnancy, rather than seek advice from a healthcare professional.

Sultan ‘Sid’ Dajani, community pharmacist and Royal Pharmaceutical Society board member, says that pregnant women and new parents are often let down by the lack of information, especially in relation to baby milks and child health. “It’s important that pharmacists maintain customer loyalty from cradle to grave, not just through prescription medicines, but also with lifestyle advice and relevant over-the-counter products,” he says. “In relation to pregnancy and babycare, pharmacists need to take a more active role in baby milks, the minor ailments scheme, and promoting the importance of vaccinations for pregnant women.”

Before conception

Pregnancy-related advice should begin before women have even conceived. Mr Dajani says that, before pregnancy, women may need advice on taking folic acid and/or smoking cessation. “The health messages then change once women fall pregnant and as the pregnancy progresses,” he says. “Pharmacists can discuss specific pregnancy ailments, such as morning sickness or heartburn, and medicines that are safe to take in pregnancy. MURs and NMS appointments can be helpful too, especially if women have a chronic health problem.”

A report by the Infant & Toddler Forum (ITF) highlighted the need for pre-conception and pregnancy to be seen as a critical ‘window of opportunity’ to improve the health of the next generation. Yet an ITF survey of 1,000 mothers and over 150 healthcare professionals revealed that just under half of mothers said they made no changes to their diet after finding out they were pregnant, and one in three healthcare professionals have had no training in nutrition during pregnancy or infant breastfeeding.

Women are currently advised to take 400mcg of folic acid each day from before conception to the 12th week of pregnancy, and 10mcg of vitamin D throughout pregnancy. Taking folic acid helps to reduce the risk of neural tube defects by up to 72 per cent, but studies show that over 66 per cent of women didn’t know they needed to take folic acid before they conceived. Vitabiotics’ Pregnacare range has been specifically formulated for couples trying for a baby and for women before and during pregnancy.

Pharmacists can also advise on increasing the chances of conceiving, with lifestyle advice and suitable ovulation testing products, such as new Clearblue Digital Ovulation Test with Dual Hormone Indicator. “We believe the pharmacy channel can benefit from investing in the pregnancy category and particularly growing the ovulation category,” says Nicola Cox, Clearblue business leader. “That is why we are providing training and support to pharmacy assistants in order to better serve their customers. Clearblue has been the brand leader in home pregnancy testing for 25 years and is now committed to growing the fertility and ovulation testing category as well.”

Pregnancy advice

Many common pregnancy-related ailments, such as morning sickness, heartburn and bladder weakness, are taken for granted, yet there are often effective treatments or self-help measures that can help to reduce the symptoms. According to TENA, up to 69 per cent of pregnant women and new mothers experience light bladder weakness. Unlike regular sanitary products, lights by TENA are specifically designed for light bladder weakness so they absorb more and faster than regular liners.

After pregnancy, mothers may be self-conscious about their scars and stretch marks. Bio-Oil has developed a new quick reference guide for pharmacists to use during consultations with patients with scars. “Scarring and stretch marks is an area that many healthcare professionals don’t have specific expertise in, and patients can find they don’t get consistent advice, making them feel unsupported,” says Bio-Oil pharmacist spokesperson, Steve Riley.

GC Aesthetics recently launched Silgel, for both new and existing hypertrophic (red) and keloidal (raised) scars, direct to the consumer for the first time. “Silgel is 100 per cent safe and ideal for the treatment of C-section scars (as well as many other types of scars resulting from injury/surgery),” says Siobhan Cunney, UK national sales manager at GC Aesthetics. “Many new C-section mums have concerns about their scar and want to help reduce its appearance. Silgel is the perfect product to help address this issue and comes with proven results.”

Newborn nutrition

Breastmilk is the best nutritional choice for babies, but some women can’t or don’t want to breastfeed. According to an SMA spokesperson, the infant formula category has tremendous brand loyalty. Research shows that over 80 per cent of mothers won’t change brand while feeding their baby formula milk, and 75 per cent of shoppers who are specifically shopping for formula will go to a different store if they can’t get exactly what they want in terms of brand and baby stage.

A lot of baby milks are now sold in supermarkets, says Mr Dajani. “Pharmacies can’t stock the entire range of baby milks, but it’s important to stock a few essentials and specialist milks (eg, hypoallergenic varieties). Pharmacists also need to be offer advice, know what’s available in terms of the different baby milks and how to order them if they aren’t in stock.”

Jane Mayall, head of marketing at NANNYcare, says that a lot of formula-fed babies suffer from colic, constipation, reflux or other minor feeding issues, so pharmacists need to be able to offer relevant advice and information. “Research shows that 96 per cent of parents of these babies don’t go to see the doctor but simply try switching to a different brand,” she says. “However, it’s often the case that parents aren’t aware that they are simply switching to an alternative that is again based on cow’s milk and less likely to make a difference. NANNYcare formula is based on goat milk, a genuinely different protein source, and may therefore be a useful alternative for pharmacists to recommend.”

Baby health

Research commissioned by Dentinox found that eight out of 10 mothers say that snuffles/a runny nose is the health ailment that affects their baby’s sleep the most. Dentinox baby products include Eye Wipes, Cradle Cap Shampoo, Teething Gel and Infant Colic Drops.

Giving medicines to a wriggling or crying baby can be a real challenge. The Dentinox Medicine Dispenser provides an easy and clever way to give a pre-measured dose of medicine to babies from three months upwards. It provides a silicone teat that a baby can suck to draw the pre-measured medicine dose through.

A blocked nose can affect a baby’s feeding and breathing. Snufflebabe Vapour Rub contains a combination of soothing eucalyptus and thyme oils with menthol for a stuffy, blocked nose. The product has officially been ‘crowned’ the Hero Health Product for Kids in this year’s Prima Baby Awards 2015. Other products in the Snufflebabe range include Nasal Drops, Nasal Spray and the Baby Nose-clear Nasal Aspirator.

According to Nelsons, the UK colic category was valued at around £9.3million in 2013, representing about four per cent of the total children’s OTC healthcare value. The launch of Nelsons Colica Granules is set to grow the category. “Nelsons Colica Colic Granules is an important addition to the colic category in the UK, as more and more parents look for natural healthcare options to help address their babies’ ailments,” says Ngaire Mitchell, UK Nelsons Colica brand manager.

Weleda’s Calendula Nappy Change Cream, which was first introduced in 1985, is celebrating 30 years as a best-selling natural baby balm. It’s made with carefully crafted ingredients including extracts of golden calendula, grown organically in Weleda’s own biodynamic herb gardens, together with soothing chamomile.

New double-action Metanium Everyday Easy Spray Barrier Lotion is the latest addition to the Metanium range. Formulated to protect and moisturise the skin to help prevent nappy rash, Metanium Everyday Easy Spray is quick, convenient and simple to use, providing light, even coverage.