Each British newborn receives an average of £252 in gifts with fashionable baby clothes now more popular than Moses baskets, rattles and books
According to new research from COTTON USA babies across the whole of the UK receive over 11 million gifts when they are born. According to the new insights, the average newborn baby receives 14 gifts when they're born, worth a total of £252. For all the babies in the UK, this means that generous Brits are spending £200 million on presents.
The new insights show that the most popular gifts for newborn babies in 2015 are clothes (52%) followed by baby grows (31%), and a quarter (25%) of those surveyed stated that they would be most likely to buy a newborn bed linen or a blanket. Traditional gifts such as rattles (4%), Moses baskets (6%) and books (5%) appear to have fallen out of favour, with 1 in 5 Brits stating that a gift for a newborn must look stylish or fashionable.
The research from COTTON USA shows that 30% of Brits feel pressure to impress the parents when they are buying gifts for a new born baby and for 65% of those surveyed, a main priority when buying a gift for a baby is that it is useful. Over a third (38%) of those surveyed stated that a gift for a newborn must be comfortable.
Jo Nilsson is the UK and Ireland Co-Founder of Polarn O. Pyret, a children's clothing company specialising in producing quality, cotton garments. The babywear brand is beloved by the Duchess of Cambridge and Prince George has been spotted numerous times wearing the brand's designs - including the cotton bodysuit worn in his famous Christmas photos. Jo said: "Newborns have a harder time regulating body temperature so clothing choice is important". She continued: "Cotton is the perfect fibre for newborn babies as it is extremely breathable, soft against their sensitive skin and generally more comfortable for the baby."
Stephanie Thiers-Ratcliffe, International Marketing Manager at COTTON USA said: "Clothing and baby grows for newborns have to be able to withstand a lot of washing and drying and so have to be long lasting". She continued "US cotton is extremely durable yet gentle against babies' delicate skin, meaning it's perfectly soft for newborns and easy to look after for parents."
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