Baba West: Products for Neurodiverse Children

“Mum, there’s something wrong with Raffy.”

Those words, spoken by my daughter Sofie during the isolating days of lockdown, hit me like a ton of bricks. Raffy was just two years old. We were miles apart and couldn’t see each other, but Sofie’s worry was palpable. I tried to reassure her — maybe he was overtired, overstimulated, or under the weather. But she was certain.

“No, Mum. There are mornings when he wakes up, and it’s like a mist descends. It’s not the terrible twos.”

Like so many mothers, I slipped into advice mode. “Try this,” “Maybe it’s his blood sugar,” and on it went — a list of possibilities from my years in health. But the truth is, it took me a while to truly understand what she was seeing and feeling.

Why Baba West Is Expanding Its Mission

Fast forward five years, and we now know: Raffy is autistic. And the challenges that so many families face to get support, understanding, and diagnosis have become painfully real to us.

Going private is expensive — far beyond the reach of most. Raffy’s school has been kind and supportive, but resources are stretched thin. Despite the hurdles, he’s thriving in many ways — he’s top of his class, a brilliant footballer — but daily life is still a mountain to climb. It’s exhausting.

When Leo and I started Baba West, we focused on the first 1,000 days — from pre-conception to toddlerhood — because we knew that’s where lifelong health begins. But over these past five years, my role as midwife, mother, and now grandmother has deepened.

Raffy’s journey has pushed me to apply everything I’ve learned across 40 years of working with women and children, and 26 years of creating nutritional supplements. I began researching the nutrients that could best support him — his sleep, his focus, his calm — and I created what I couldn’t find on the market.

Our Products for Neurodiverse Children

While we’re not autism specialists, we’re living this — like so many of you. At Baba West, our hero product is a thoughtfully formulated Multibiotic + Multivitamin Blend, rooted in the gut-brain connection.

These blends are rich in child-friendly probiotics and essential nutrients designed to support digestion, mood, cognitive function, and more restful sleep.

They’re not just for neurodiverse children, but they’ve been developed with their unique needs in mind:

• Gut health & nutrient absorption to support picky or restricted diets.

• Vitamin D and B vitamins for energy, mood, and focus

• Antioxidants & gentle plant extracts to protect growing brains and calm the nervous system

• A mild, easy-to-use powdered format, that blends into yoghurts, smoothies or cereals — no pills, no fuss.

Support That Grows With Your Family

Sofie, like so many mums, is doing her best. She’s juggling a full-time job, two children with different needs, and a household that never stops. She's exhausted. She's isolated. And too often, she puts herself last. Her story isn’t unique — and that’s exactly why it needs to be told.

We want Baba West to be part of the solution. We're here to grow with you — to support you not just through babyhood, but through real-life childhood, with all its twists and turns.

This is personal. It always has been.

With love,

Zita West And Leo

References Supporting Multibiotic Benefits for Neurodiverse Children

1.     Gut-Brain Axis and Neurodevelopment

o   Mayer EA, Knight R, Mazmanian SK, Cryan JF, Tillisch K. Gut microbes and the brain: paradigm shift in neuroscience. J Neurosci. 2014 Nov 12;34(46):15490-6.
https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3299-14.2014

Explores how gut microbiota influence brain function and behaviour, relevant to neurodiversity.

2.     Probiotics and Autism Spectrum Disorders

o   Shaaban SY, El Gendy YG, Mehanna NS, El-Sheikh AA, Hassan EM. Psychobiotics improve behavioral disorders in children with autism spectrum disorders: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Nutr Neurosci. 2018 Aug;21(8):568-581.
https://doi.org/10.1080/1028415X.2017.1353840

§  Clinical evidence showing probiotic supplementation can reduce autism-related behavioral issues.

3.     Probiotics and ADHD

o   Stevenson RJ, Hannon S, Scholey AB. Probiotics and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: a systematic review. J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2021 Sep;62(9):1109-1119.
https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.13470

§  Reviews how probiotic interventions may improve symptoms of ADHD.

4.     Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus Strains

o   Sanders ME, Merenstein DJ, Reid G, Gibson GR, Rastall RA. Probiotics and prebiotics in intestinal health and disease: from biology to the clinic. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2019 Oct;16(10):605-616.
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41575-019-0173-3

Discusses the role of key probiotic strains in supporting gut health and immunity.

5.     Gut Microbiome and Nutrient Absorption

o   Rastall RA, Gibson GR. Recent developments in prebiotics to selectively impact beneficial microbes and promote intestinal health. Curr Opin Biotechnol. 2015 Feb;32:42-6.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copbio.2014.10.003

Details mechanisms by which gut microbiota enhance absorption of vitamins and minerals.

6.     Oxidative Stress, Inflammation, and Neurodevelopment

o   Rossignol DA, Frye RE. Evidence linking oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and inflammation in the brain of individuals with autism. Front Physiol. 2014 Sep 11;5:150.
https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2014.00150

Highlights how oxidative stress and inflammation contribute to neurodevelopmental symptoms.

7.     Vitamin D and Neurodevelopment

o   Fernell E, Bejerot S, Westerlund J, et al. Autism spectrum disorder and vitamin D deficiency: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Nutrients. 2020 May 7;12(5):1301.
https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12051301

Supports the role of vitamin D in brain development and immune function.