NEWS: Government launches campaign to support parents

As reported by The Department of Health and Social Care, with many unaware of the impact on their baby’s mental health, a new initiative offers guidance to help parents build secure bonds and nurture their child’s future wellbeing

A new government campaign – Start for Life’s If They Could Tell You – has launched to support parents to help build secure bonds to help nurture their baby’s future mental health, along with easy-to-follow guidance on the Start for Life website.

The campaign aims to highlight that babies’ expressions, reactions, noises, and cries are the way they communicate their needs and feelings to parents which in some cases can be an indication of their mental wellbeing.

We want to help parents and carers learn how to interpret these cues so they can find the best way to meet their babies’ needs.

A baby’s brain is making one million neural connections every second, making pregnancy and the first 2 years so important for their healthy development. These connections are formed as a result of the interaction between parents and their babies, laying the foundations for their physical and emotional wellbeing, now and in future. Secure relationships with parents and carers positively impacts child development outcomes and reduces the likelihood of mental health difficulties.

Minister for Public Health, Start for Life and Primary Care, Dame Andrea Leadsom said:

We are committed to giving every baby the best start in life, and promoting that vital secure attachment between babies and their parents in the 1,001 critical days from pregnancy to two years old is crucial for their future well-being.

Speaking with parents across the country, I’ve heard first-hand that they need more support around how to better build those connections. Parents can access a range of support and advice, in person via family hubs and on the Start for Life website.

We are also launching new guidance for frontline practitioners, aimed at helping them to start conversations with parents about building their relationship with their baby.