Parents have never had access to so much information. Every day, they receive advice through social media, webshops, healthcare professionals and specialist baby stores about what is best for their child. At the same time, making the right choices seems to be becoming increasingly complex. This calls for reliable products, expert advice and a baby industry that helps parents make confident, well-informed decisions.
From 21 to 25 September, the Netherlands marks Safe Sleep Week, which is why safe sleep takes centre stage in this issue. Our interview with Mieke Cotterink from VeiligheidNL (p. 14) delivers one particularly clear message: ‘less is more’. In a market where the number of sleep-related products continues to grow, simplicity often remains the safest choice. In her column (p. 26), Mirjam Boven once again offers an insight into her daily work as a paediatric nurse specialising in infant care, this time focusing on babies who struggle to settle and sleep.
The WIJ Monitor by WIJ Special Media (p. 20) also ties in perfectly with this theme. It shows that parents still prefer to buy baby bedding new and often purchase it in physical stores, although online shopping continues to grow steadily.
Safety is a recurring theme throughout this issue. The latest car seat test by ANWB and ADAC (p. 24) once again demonstrates just how significant the differences in quality can be – and why expert advice remains so important.
We also look ahead. Demographer Jan Latten (p. 52) explains why declining birth rates are more than just a temporary trend. Meanwhile, The State of Families 2026 (p. 18) reveals that parental stress has become a structural issue. This creates a growing need for products and services that offer simplicity, reassurance and confidence.
Technology also features in this issue. At the baby’s corner, research is underway into how AI can enhance personal advice in specialist baby retail (p. 22). And in our retail feature, Caspar Kerckhoff, CCO of Prénatal, explains how the company continues to build for the future through new store concepts, private-label brands, personal shopping evenings and a loyalty programme (p. 48).
Of course, you will also find the latest brand collections (from p. 25 onwards), while Brecht Daams explores the importance of the correct seat depth for children in her column (p. 43).
And don’t miss all the nominated products for the Kind + Jugend Innovation Awards 2026. As one of the expert jury members, I once again had the opportunity to see so many exciting and innovative products (p. 12)!
In short, this issue is packed with developments from a rapidly changing baby industry, with one constant at its heart: supporting parents as effectively as possible during one of the most important periods of their lives.