Nutrition plays an undeniably-important role in child development. A parent’s choice of what foods and beverages to keep in their home goes well beyond choosing healthy options. Their child’s age, stage of development, allergies and intolerances are important elements. In this first piece in a series on how dairy supports different life stages, we are outlining dairy’s role in supporting child development. What better time to explore the benefits of milk and milk-derived ingredients than during the celebrations around World School Milk Day, commonly celebrated the last Wednesday in September each year.

High-quality protein can be an important ally in addressing the double burden of malnutrition. Nutrition experts from the United States and Asia recently shed light on the latest scientific understanding of the role U.S. dairy proteins can help play as a nutrition solution in addressing this challenge across life stages, from children to adults to seniors.

Will China’s transition to a two-child policy usher in a new baby boom? Time will tell, but in the meantime China’s southern neighbor, Vietnam, is ripe with opportunity boasting a population of 13 million children, aged 8 years and younger.