Infant Nutrition & Baby Care: China Brand Analysis Q1 2024
By Jotham Lim
10 min read
Newer data: CN¥ 130B Market Fuels China's Infant Nutrition Surge
Executive Summary#
China's online sales of infant nutrition supplements grew 16.5% YoY in Q1 2024, which was the fastest growth rate of any segment in the mother & baby category. Calcium, iron & zinc (钙铁锌) grew fastest among the core ingredients, by 34.4% YoY. Emerging ingredients such as casein (+635.8%) and algae calcium (+310.9%) point to a shift towards premium ingredients that we believe is driven by parents' growing health literacy. Mother & baby personal care grew 8.3% YoY, and maternity body care, previously a niche sub-category, grew by more than 400% year on year. Two brand case studies show how brands approached the market in Q1 2024. Childlife (健敏思) built an allergen-free supplement range on a precise positioning for sensitive babies aged 0 to 6. Aveeno (艾惟诺) ran a content strategy that varied by social platform, relying mainly on content from everyday users (KOCs) to introduce an American skincare brand to Chinese parents.
Download Full Report#
Get the complete sub-category data, consumer demographic profiles, dosage form trend analysis, and full brand case studies.
Infant Nutrition Supplements Grew 16.5% YoY on Structural Demand#
Sales of infant and toddler nutrition supplements grew 16.5% YoY in Q1 2024, the highest growth rate within the mother & baby category. Average selling prices fell 6.5% YoY, a market-wide price correction that we believe is widening the addressable market by bringing nutritional supplements within reach of more households. Volume grew faster than prices fell, which suggests that the growth comes from lasting demand and was not simply prompted by lower prices.
Three trends that reinforce one another lie behind the segment's growth:
- Rising parental health literacy: first-time parents in the 26 to 35 age group research ingredients such as calcium, DHA and lactoferrin before they buy, and they treat nutritional supplements as a functional necessity for their child.
- Scientific feeding education on social media: Xiaohongshu (小红书) and Douyin (抖音) have raised both awareness and conversion, shortening the path from paediatric guidance to product discovery and purchase. By 2024 paediatric professionals were reaching parents through digital channels as well as in hospital consultations.
- Product format innovation: the move from powders and capsules to liquid drops, dissolvable sachets and gummies makes supplementation easier for infants and toddlers to accept. The most successful new products compete on functional credibility and sensory appeal at the same time, a positioning Moojing calls "nutrition snackification."
Core Ingredients: Calcium Grows Fastest, Emerging Ingredients Accelerate#
The Q1 2024 infant nutrition supplement market rests on four core ingredients, each with quarterly sales above CN¥ 450 million. Calcium, iron & zinc (钙铁锌) is the largest core segment and grew 34.4% YoY, the strongest growth among the established categories. Sales of DHA and probiotics (益生菌) fell slightly in Q1 2024, which we believe reflects saturation in these long-established categories.
Emerging concepts across the mother & baby category grew far faster:
Mother & Baby Q1 2024 Growth Concepts
| Concept | GMV (CN¥ bn) | Growth Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Casein (酪蛋白) | 2.1 | 635.8% |
| Algae calcium (海藻钙) | 0.8 | 310.9% |
| ARA | 0.6 | 190.2% |
| Wearable bath towels | 0.1 | 85.3% |
| Medical-grade diapers | 1.3 | 45.1% |
| Cloth diapers | 0.0 | 33.5% |
Casein grew 635.8% to CN¥ 2.1 billion in GMV, which shows parents upgrading the protein quality of infant formula and supplement blends and choosing scientifically substantiated, bioavailable ingredients over commodity ones. Algae calcium (+310.9% YoY) appeals to the growing group of parents who want plant-based, sustainably sourced minerals and wish to avoid calcium of bovine or shellfish origin. ARA (+190.2% YoY) benefits from growing awareness of the role of omega-6 fatty acids in infant brain and eye development, a subject that paediatrician KOLs explain to parents on Douyin and Xiaohongshu.
Liquid Calcium and Nutrition Snackification#
Liquid calcium and mineral oral solutions were the fastest-moving sub-segment within infant nutrition in Q1 2024, and several of the best-selling products reached quarterly sales in the tens of millions of CN¥ while growing by more than 50%.
Most of the innovation behind liquid calcium's growth is sensory. Products are marketed with taste and texture comparisons such as "tastes like ice cream" or "tastes like yoghurt" to make supplementation acceptable to infants and toddlers who refuse powders or capsules. Product titles and marketing copy also stress calcium concentration, allergen-free formulation and "no irritants" claims. This combination of functional credibility and sensory appeal resembles the way gummies changed the eye health segment of the wider health supplement category. We believe it shows that brands in this segment compete on format at least as much as on ingredients.
Consumer Demographics: Gender-Balanced Buyers Across Age Stages#
The people discussing infant nutrition supplements on social media are almost evenly split by gender, at 49.52% male and 50.48% female, which departs notably from the traditional pattern in which mothers made most purchases. We believe that more involved fathers in the new generation of parents have effectively doubled the audience that influences and makes these decisions. Discussants are concentrated in the 26 to 35 age group and in Tier 1 and new Tier 1 cities, and consumer needs change with the child's stage of life:
- Newborn stage: immune support and calcium absorption
- Weaning period: gut health and dosage forms with a suitable texture
- Older infants (12 to 36 months): ingredients for cognitive development (DHA, lutein) and compound formulations
Brand Case Study: Childlife (健敏思) and Allergen-Free Positioning#
Childlife (健敏思) is an Australian mother & baby health brand whose success in China shows what precise positioning can achieve in a crowded supplement market. The brand has built its identity around a single verifiable proposition, "free from 8 major allergens, safe for sensitive babies", and has applied it consistently across product development, packaging, marketing and channel strategy.
The brand defines its target audience explicitly as sensitive babies aged 0 to 6, and this narrow positioning supports a premium price and gives the brand credibility with parents looking for a specific allergen-free certification. Its product range spans four verticals that fit together:
Childlife Product Verticals#
- Vitamin series: the brand's flagship category, which builds parental trust through transparent formulation and allergen-free certification
- Gut health series: probiotic and lactoferrin products aimed at the immune support segment, where parents engage heavily, and which benefit from parents' growing awareness of the links between gut, brain and immune health in infant development
- Eye care nutrition: an entry into the lutein and DHA eye care segment, one of the fastest-growing concept areas, driven by concern about childhood myopia
- Gummy dosage forms: a product innovation that follows the nutrition snackification trend and makes supplementation easier for toddlers moving on from infant formats
This portfolio follows a pattern common among premium supplement brands globally, with vitamins as the entry category, gut health as the high-value core and eye care and gummies as two high-growth adjacent areas. Childlife's social media strategy spans Weibo (微博), Douyin and Xiaohongshu, with content built on product science education and parents sharing their own experience. This content reinforces the allergen-free message without relying on promotional mechanics that would erode its premium positioning. The "Small Blue Box" flagship product is free from 29 allergens, which addresses parents whose main worry is an adverse reaction.
Mother & Baby Personal Care: Maternity Body Care Breaks Out#
The mother & baby personal care segment grew 8.3% YoY in Q1 2024, faster than the mother & baby market as a whole. The most notable change in the segment is in maternity body care, a previously niche sub-category that grew by more than 400% YoY while its number of product SKUs grew 186.6%. We believe this reflects a previously underserved market meeting a fast-growing number of pregnant and postpartum women who pay attention to self-care.
Prenatal facial care, baby moisturising lotion and baby lotion or cream are the three largest categories, ranking highest in both social media discussion and sales. Social media is the main channel for discovery and conversion, and social media discussion of the segment grew 113% YoY in Q1 2024.
Consumers' purchase decision factors pose a more subtle marketing challenge. Fragrance accounts for 31% of purchase decisions and moisturising effect for 28%, so these experiential factors outweigh clinical attributes such as dermatologist recommendation. Brands therefore need to communicate ingredient quality while making sure that the scent and texture of the product meet consumers' expectations at first use.
Brand Case Study: Aveeno (艾惟诺) and a Content Strategy Built for Each Platform#
Aveeno (艾惟诺) is an American professional skincare brand whose oat-based formulations, originally developed for sensitive adult skin, carried over naturally into premium infant skincare positioning after the brand entered the China market in 2016.
In Q1 2024 Aveeno used a content strategy that differed deliberately across three major social platforms:
Aveeno Platform Content Mix#
| Platform | KOL Share | KOC Share | Consumer Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Short-video platform | 12.5% | 87.5% | 0% |
| Microblogging platform | 0.3% | 99.3% | 0.4% |
| Lifestyle community platform | 3.7% | 6% | 90.3% |
On the short-video platform, Aveeno relied mainly on KOCs, who produced 87.5% of its content, and placed its products in videos by lifestyle bloggers. Trending topics such as "dad taking care of baby" reached parenting audiences beyond the traditional mother demographic. On the lifestyle community platform, consumer-generated content (90.3%) seeded the products through recommendations between peers, and on the microblogging platform, KOC content (99.3%) combined personal use with stories about the products' benefits.
The brand's portfolio centres on two flagship products, the Long-Lasting Moisturising Cream (CN¥ 106/48g, for ages 0 to 12) with a claimed 48-hour moisture lock and the Protective Cream + Moisturising Lotion Set (CN¥ 156/set, for ages 0 to 6). Both products and all channels carry the same single oat extract claim, which we believe is a clear example of building a brand around one ingredient.
Key Takeaways#
- Infant nutrition supplements grew 16.5% YoY in Q1 2024, the fastest growth in the mother & baby category, driven by parental health literacy, education on social media and new product formats.
- Casein (+635.8%), algae calcium (+310.9%) and ARA (+190.2%) are the premium ingredient concepts with the strongest growth, and all three benefit from parents choosing ingredients with more care.
- Mother & baby personal care grew 8.3% YoY, while maternity body care grew by more than 400% and its product SKU count by 186.6%, a previously underserved market that was attracting investment from established brands in Q1 2024.
- Childlife (健敏思) shows that a narrow allergen-free positioning, "safe for sensitive babies aged 0 to 6", can support premium pricing and parental trust.
- Aveeno (艾惟诺) adapted its content mix to each social platform and relied mainly on KOC content, an approach other international brands can study as they build a presence in Chinese social commerce while keeping their premium positioning.
More from This Report#
About the Data#
This analysis draws on Moojing Market Intelligence (魔镜洞察) proprietary data on China's mother & baby online market in Q1 2024 (January to March 2024), with year-on-year comparisons to Q1 2023. Market data covers several of China's largest online marketplaces, and social media data is drawn from Weibo (微博), Xiaohongshu (小红书) and Douyin. The brand case studies are based on Moojing's proprietary sales analysis and social media research. All figures are in Chinese Yuan (CN¥) and refer to online channels unless otherwise stated.
Moojing Market Intelligence analyses brand and category performance across major Chinese e-commerce platforms. For enquiries: info@moojing-global.com | moojing-global.com
This content adheres to Moojing's editorial standards .
Frequently Asked Questions
Its online sales grew 16.5% year on year in Q1 2024, which was the fastest growth in the mother and baby category. Average selling prices fell 6.5%, but volume grew faster, which points to lasting demand that lower prices did not simply prompt, and the price correction is widening the addressable market. Three forces drive it. Rising health literacy leads first-time parents aged 26 to 35 to research calcium, DHA and lactoferrin before buying. Scientific feeding education on social media shortens the path from paediatric guidance to purchase, and formats are moving from powders and capsules toward drops, dissolvable sachets and gummies.
Premium, scientifically substantiated ones. Calcium, iron and zinc is the largest established segment and the strongest performer among them at +34.4%, while DHA and probiotics saw slight falls that likely reflect saturation in long-established categories. The emerging tier grows from smaller bases far faster: casein at +635.8%, algae calcium at +310.9% and ARA at +190.2%. Each maps to a specific parental concern: casein to protein quality, algae calcium to plant-based sourcing that avoids bovine or shellfish origins, and ARA to omega-6 in brain and eye development. Medical-grade diapers (+45.1%) show the same upgrade logic outside nutrition.
Because an infant can refuse a product an adult would simply swallow. Liquid calcium and mineral oral solutions are the fastest-moving sub-segment, with leading products selling tens of millions of CN¥ a quarter and growing by more than 50%. The innovation behind them is mainly sensory: they are marketed with comparisons such as tasting of ice cream or yoghurt, to make supplementation palatable for infants and toddlers who resist powders and capsules. Concentration, allergen-free formulation and "no irritants" claims sit alongside. It mirrors how gummies disrupted eye health supplements: format, not ingredient differentiation alone, decides the winner.
The buyer base has broadened notably. Social discussion of infant nutrition supplements is close to gender-balanced, at 49.52% male and 50.48% female, which departs from the traditional pattern in which mothers made most purchases and in effect doubles the audience that makes the decision. Discussants are concentrated in the 26 to 35 age group and in Tier 1 and new Tier 1 cities. Needs follow the child's stage: immune support and calcium absorption for newborns, gut health and texture-appropriate dosage at weaning, and cognitive ingredients and compound formulations at 12 to 36 months. In mother and baby personal care, which grew 8.3%, maternity body care grew more than 400% and its SKU count 186.6%, and the deciding factors are experiential. Fragrance accounts for 31% of purchase decisions and moisturising effect for 28%, outweighing clinical attributes such as dermatologist recommendation.
