Just how much do parents know about maternal and infant nutrition?

While many parents and caregivers claim to know the importance of good nutrition for both mother and baby, a surprisingly low number have a knowledge of the reasons for this, according to new data from The Leading Edge.

"People just don't understand the benefits of vitamins and minerals. What those benefits could be on, specifically early health, but also their own health,"​ revealed Isobel Smyth, managing partner at The Leading Edge during a recent half day event focused on maternal and infant health.

The DSM-backed event saw various experts come together to share perspectives on key issues in maternal health and infant nutrition. From lifestyle bloggers to leading researchers, the experts discussed how well infant nutrition issues are understood by consumers, and what can be done to help that.

"Traditionally, we haven't been taught at school what the different vitamins are, what they mean, what they mean for our bodies, and what they mean for our children,"​ commented Sarah Anguish, a mother of three and family lifestyle blogger running Boo Roo and Tigger Too. "That key education. Having that bond between what they are serving and what the benefits are from that, I think is key."​

Smyth said the data from research The Leading Edge did for DSM shows that while levels of awareness are 'so high for so many of them', but nobody really knows what they are for or what they do.