Immunity, height growth, brain development top concerns of parents, report reveals

Little Umbrella, the New Zealand-based children's nutrition food provider, in collaboration with Yicai Media Group, a Shanghai-based business news outlet, and JD Health, the healthcare arm of Chinese e-commerce group JD, jointly released the Global Trend in Organic Formula Nutritional Products for Children White Paper 2025 to explore future consumption trends.

Unveiled in Auckland last week, this report seeks to uncover the real needs of a new generation of parents regarding organic formula nutrition for children, and support further product innovation and quality upgrades in China's market for children's organic nutritional formula products.

According to Little Umbrella's research, the top three health concerns among parents are immunity, height growth, and brain development. In addition, more than a quarter of parents are particularly concerned about their children's vision.

Correspondingly, nutritional supplements targeting immunity, height growth, brain development, and eye protection are among the most used by modern parents for their children. This indicates that today's Chinese parents are already highly aware of matching nutritional products to specific health functions.

The trend of "precision nutrition" is also reflected in the way parents tailor supplements according to their children's age-specific developmental needs, said the study.

"We have found that the new generation of parents has more refined nutritional needs," said Steve Darling, the founder of Little Umbrella.

For example, many parents are particularly concerned with boosting immunity, supporting height growth, and promoting brain development. Nutritional needs also vary notably across different age groups, which calls for more tailored solutions from brands, said Darling.

The children's organic nutritional products market has seen rapid growth in recent years, fueled by a new generation of parents who place greater emphasis on their children's health and nutrition. These parents are highly attentive to natural, organic ingredients and prioritize product safety and reliability, said Mike Arand, an expert specializing in China-New Zealand trade.

Echoing that sentiment, Guan Lixin, a researcher specializing in marketing at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation in Beijing, said that at the same time, rising living standards in China have enabled more families to afford the premium prices of organic nutritional products.

As the market expands, product offerings have also diversified. Beyond organic milk formula, new categories such as organic minerals, vitamins and probiotics have steadily emerged. Recognizing this market opportunity, said Guan.

Entering the Chinese market in 2019, the Auckland-headquartered Little Umbrella has established a presence in over 100 offline retail channels nationwide. In terms of online sales in the country, the brand is available on major e-commerce platforms such as Tmall, JD.com and Pinduoduo, as well as on content-driven platforms like Douyin, Kuaishou and Xiaohongshu, also known as RedNote.