Mothers who work part-time raise healthier babies

“Everybody needs to think carefully about what is right for them and their children, and be prepared to change if it is not working out. You play it by ear.”

Forgotten fathers

And some may not have the luxury of choosing whether to stay at home or work, be it part or full-time.

Limited and expensive childcare mean some who may want to work cannot afford to do so, while others need to work to financially provide for their child.

“Flexible working and better childcare is key,” says Dr Martina Klett-Davies of the Family and Parenting Institute. “It is also a shame these studies always forget the father — if there isn’t a healthy meal on the table why is that always the fault of the working mum?

“But we also need to be wary of turning parenting into a science. We like the idea that we can provide definitive proof of what is best for children, but a lot of the time all it does is make parents feel even more insecure.”