The Child Trust Fund CTF is the most successful savings scheme in the UK, according to one provider.
Families are far more engaged with this product than other long-term savings alternatives, The Children's Mutual said.
The organisation was basing its comments on an analysis of the HM Revenue & Customs 2009 CTF report, which indicated that 74 per cent of families proactively open such accounts within one year of their child being born.
This is despite only 40 per cent of eligible people having a private pension and just 30 per cent saving in an ISA.
David White, chief executive of The Children's Mutual, said the CTF is "changing the nation's savings habits" in a way that adult plans have not.
He said that this year, record numbers of parents are getting the most out of savings by setting up a direct debit to build up a bigger pot of money for their children.