baby

The CMA's recommendations include the government issuing NHS-branded baby milk and removing branding from baby milk in hospitals.

Blackpool South MP Chris Webb, himself a new parent, is calling for tighter pricing regulations on the sale of baby formula, amid concerns about rising costs and out-of-control marketing to new parents.

The high cost of baby formula is forcing many parents to "resort to extreme and unsafe measures to feed their babies", an MP has told the Commons.

The MP also said he regularly read "heart-breaking posts" on local forums from parents in "utter despair" begging for baby food donations to tide them over until the next pay day.

Folic acid is particularly important in early pregnancy, aiding proper development of the baby's brain, skull and spinal cord.