Scottish maternal and infant nutrition survey 2017

Principal Investigator's Opening Remarks

The purpose of this survey was to investigate where Scotland was in relation to achieving optimal health and nutrition for mothers prior to and during pregnancy and after for infants. It has taken a large amount of collaborative effort from the teams who carried out the survey and from the 8,000 parents who generously gave of their time to complete it. I am extremely grateful to everyone involved.

It has personally been a privilege to be able to play my part in this survey and potentially to help future parents achieve the best health outcomes for their children. All parents would choose to have a problem free pregnancy, straight forward birth and a healthy infant. Those who support them want to enable them to achieve these same goals.

There is some really good news to report. There has been progress in many areas including a longer duration of breastfeeding, later introduction of solid foods and an increased uptake of vitamins. However, there is work still to do and there is a continuing inequalities gap. The survey has successfully highlighted these gaps and also shows where the key policies are having an impact.

The results provide a solid baseline on which we can build effective interventions. We can use the knowledge gained to support the population to be in the best possible health preconception and to make good nutritional choices for themselves and their infants beyond that.

Linda Wolfson
Professional Advisor and National Maternal & Infant Nutrition Co-ordinator
Scottish Government