Hecto Healthcare’s probiotics brand De Simone is holding a gift event for expecting mothers to mark Pregnant Women’s Day. Hecto Healthcare said on Oct. 8 it will give gifts to the first 1,000 expecting mothers who are De Simone Mall members from 10 a.m. on Oct. 10.

Oct. 10, the day of the event, is Pregnant Women’s Day. It was set for this day each year to reflect the meaning of October as an abundant month and the 10-month pregnancy period. The aim is to highlight the importance of pregnancy and childbirth and spread a social atmosphere of consideration for pregnant women.

The company said it prepared the event to support expecting mothers awaiting a new family member. If users set a notification in advance on the De Simone Mall website, they can receive participation guidance on the day. The event is open to De Simone Mall members.

De Simone offers product lines by a child’s growth stage. These include Baby Step 1 for ages 3 to 12 months and Baby Step 2 for ages 12 to 24 months. It also sells Kids Step 1 for ages 3 to 7, Kids Step 2 for ages 8 to 13, and Kids Premium for ages 3 to 13.

The products use DSF (De Simone Formulation), a strain blend developed by Italian probiotics researcher Professor Claudio De Simone. The formulation mixes eight strains in the Lactobacillus, Bifidobacteria and Streptococcus groups. The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in 2009 granted individual recognition of a functional claim for the formulation: it may help intestinal health by regulating intestinal immunity.

Hecto Healthcare CEO Seok-jin Kim (김석진) said, "To mark Pregnant Women’s Day, we prepared this event to convey congratulations and encouragement to expecting mothers awaiting a new family member." He added, "We will continue to expand probiotics products and services tailored to the life cycle, from infants and children to adults, to support families’ healthy daily lives."