Nguyen Quang Tri, Vinamilk's Marketing Executive Director, vividly recalls a day in 4/2020. Amidst Vietnam's first Covid-19 outbreak, a young mother in Hanoi shared her story on social media about contracting the virus right after giving birth. Isolated in quarantine, she couldn't breastfeed. Infant formula became the alternative.

"What resonated with me wasn't the virus, but the comments below," he said. These comments suggested her baby wouldn't fully develop without breast milk, some even urging her to try harder to maintain her milk supply.

A question arose for Tri: Why add pressure on a mother already striving to keep her child safe? This question lingered, as the emotional burden on mothers during their parenting journey is ever-present.

Driven by this concern, Vinamilk set a goal: to overcome the challenges and limitations in child nutrition. The company aimed to create a solution empowering mothers to care for and express their love for their children, centered around a breakthrough in 6 HMOs.

Breast milk remains the primary source of nutrients as children start solids, so when Thu Trang (28, Hanoi) contracted dengue fever, she cried for days, worried about losing her milk supply and her ability to breastfeed.

Sharing the same sentiment, Bao Ly (34, Da Nang) felt anxious about returning to work early and being unable to continue breastfeeding. Ly confessed to sleepless nights, feeling she wasn't fulfilling her role as a mother. "I also feared my child would be emotionally deprived without the comfort of breastfeeding," she said.

These stories echo the findings of a "Breastfeeding" survey conducted from 27/11/2024 to 4/12/2024 on VnExpress, with 532 participants. When asked how they felt about not being able to exclusively breastfeed, about 20% of mothers expressed sadness, 11% felt pity for their child. Others felt guilty, disappointed in themselves, stressed, pressured, and even experienced family conflicts. Some readers confessed that even though their children were over 5 years old, they still felt remorse when recalling the experience.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends breast milk as the ideal food for infants. However, according to a 2020-2021 UNICEF report, 55% of children in Vietnam are not exclusively breastfed during their first 6 months. According to the VnExpress survey, two major factors influencing this are work (48.3%) and physical condition (45.7%). Other factors include maternal mental health issues (23.1%), milk quality (13.9%), the baby's inability to latch (10.1%), and various other issues (14.6%).

According to Millieu Insight, three main factors contribute to over half of Vietnamese children potentially lacking essential nutrients found in breast milk. Firstly, time: nearly 60% of Vietnamese mothers return to work early, before 6 months postpartum. Many struggle to maintain breastfeeding, not due to lack of will, but due to lack of support. Secondly, health issues: one in three births is a C-section, which can impact both the development of the baby's gut microbiome and the mother's recovery and ability to breastfeed effectively.

Recognizing this problem, the Vinamilk team sought a comprehensive solution to ensure optimal nutrition for children, even when exclusive breastfeeding isn't possible. The answer lies in a nutritional breakthrough that bridges the gap, bringing infant formula closer to the nutrients found in breast milk: 6 HMOs.

Breast milk plays a vital role in shaping the composition and optimizing the function of a child's gut microbiome. Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) are the third most abundant nutrient in breast milk, after lactose and fat, and are exclusive to it. Discovered in the late 19th century, over 200 types have been identified to date.

HMOs are not digested or absorbed in the child's small intestine. Upon reaching the large intestine, they perform essential biological functions, nourishing beneficial bacteria and balancing the gut microbiome. This helps prevent pathogens, improving digestive health and immunity. Numerous studies demonstrate their ability to "program" the immune system, potentially reducing the risk of allergies and autoimmune diseases. HMOs also play a crucial role in brain development and cognitive enhancement.

Recognizing these benefits, scientists have been researching the inclusion of HMOs in nutritional products.

In 2019, Vinamilk, along with another brand, introduced the first HMO-fortified nutritional product in Vietnam, featuring the now-renowned 2’-FL formula. Two years later, more complex formulas with 5 HMOs were launched, setting a new trend in the industry.

"After that milestone, the market became quiet," Tri said.

By 2024, 5 HMOs remained the limit for supplementation in infant formula in Vietnam. Each HMO has a complex structure, and synthesizing them on an industrial scale while ensuring purity, safety, and efficacy is challenging. Producing different HMOs requires separate, complex, and costly biotechnological or chemical synthesis processes. Increasing the number of HMOs isn't just about adding another type; it also requires ensuring their stability within the milk formula and their absorbability and utilization by the child's body.

But Vinamilk didn't want to stop there. Tri explained that for nearly 50 years, the company has embraced the philosophy of "establishing unprecedented technologies in Vietnam." Alongside this, they sought to leverage scientific advancements in HMO research to set a new standard of care. "This is how every mother can fully express her role and love for her child, a boundless and complete love," stated Tri.

Vinamilk embarked on the journey of overcoming the challenges of increasing the quantity and diversity of HMOs in infant formula with the mindset of both scientists and parents concerned about raising their children. To realize this strategic scientific vision, the company partnered with 6 leading global nutrition corporations: DSM (Switzerland), Novoniss (formerly Chr Hansen - Denmark), Beneo (Germany), Gnosis (Italy), AAK (Sweden), and Kanematsu (Japan). The goal was to apply nutritional science achievements to international-standard infant formula products, approaching the "gold standard" of breast milk.

"It was a bold but determined step to realize the dream of providing optimal nutrition that meets international standards for Vietnamese children," Tri recounted about the early days.

A year after the strategic signing, Vinamilk successfully incorporated 6 HMOs into two products: Optimum Gold and Optimum Colos.

"The 6-HMO complex is a breakthrough that brings infant formula closer than ever to breast milk," Nguyen Quang Tri emphasized the effectiveness of this formula at the 2025 Growth Asia Summit held in Singapore on 15/7.

He explained the benefits of this proximity to breast milk from two perspectives: nutrition for the child and peace of mind for the mother.

Nutritionally, 6 HMOs offer three advantages: closeness to the "gold standard" of breast milk, enhanced gut health support, and improved immunity. This complex comprises 6 types: 2’-FL, 3-FL, LNT, 3’-SL, 6’-SL, and DFL, which make up about 58% of the total HMO content in breast milk. More importantly, it includes all three main HMO groups, mimicking both the diversity and function of natural HMOs.

Another point is that HMOs also support the growth of beneficial gut bacteria like bifidobacterium and lactobacillus. They contribute to establishing a balanced and optimal gut microbiome, which is essential for enhancing immune health, especially for C-section babies.

Within the 6 HMOs, the combination of DFL and 3-FL is often described by experts as "rare and powerful" or the "golden piece" completing the superior benefits of HMOs. DFL acts as a "decoy," trapping pathogens before they attach to the intestinal wall, becoming a natural biological shield. 3-FL is one of the few HMOs that can travel from the gut into the circulatory system, supporting gut health and enhancing systemic immunity, including defense against pathogens, especially respiratory infections.

"This is not simply about adding another type of HMO. The unique aspect of 6 HMOs is providing children with the right combination to strengthen immunity from the inside out," Tri analyzed.

Thanks to this unique formula containing all 6 HMO types – which make up about 58% of the total HMO content in breast milk – mothers can feel less worried and anxious when unable to breastfeed. They can rest assured that their children are still receiving optimal nutrition, supporting their development in the early years.

Content: Hoang Dan | Design: Thai Hung | Photo: Vinamilk