Menu
OPINION All
Health
Health
Health
Health
Health
Press releases

Too many babies are suffering from a lack of early-months bonding

3 min read

The first 1,001 days of life, from conception to two years old, should be a magical time for families. Seeing babies develop a sense of themselves and the world around them can feel miraculous.

But for too many babies and their families in Britain today, those early months can be difficult and even traumatic - and carry long-lasting consequences.

“Disorganised attachment” is what happens when babies and parents can’t bond, and it can lead to long-term mental health problems.

That’s why intervention at an early stage is essential. One recent report for the Parent-Infant Foundation based on data from the Millennium Cohort Study found that assisting parents in bonding is worth £900m a year to the exchequer. Studies estimate the value of wider early years intervention is over £16bn.

Parent-infant teams support families that are struggling to bond because of psychological issues or trauma. They provide specialist interventions including parent-infant psychotherapy and video interaction feedback. Amongst healthcare professionals there is growing consensus that supporting a baby’s mental development is just as important as their physical development. 

But these services are few and far between. Currently there are just 50 parent-infant teams across the UK. It is estimated that there are over 100,000 babies in the UK at risk of disorganised attachment. So teams only reach around 5 per cent of vulnerable families.

Plans announced by the Department for Education and the Department of Health and Social Care could address the shortfall.  The Department for Education has announced £500m to roll out ‘Best Start Family Hubs’ to every local authority.  Start for Life services are being expanded too.

These programmes provide universal support, but specialist support from mental health services is needed also to support parents overcome deeply entrenched trauma, and provide nurturing care for their babies.

It can’t be overstated how important the early years are, but investment has been in long-term decline.  A report by Barnardos found a one-third decrease in the number of family hubs and children’s centres in England in the past 15 years, with spending cut by almost £1.4bn since 2011.  

There are still, inevitably, some questions over the government’s plans: staffing will be essential, and funding for specialist mental health services like parent-infant teams is still to be confirmed.

Joining up the array of health, early years and social care services that support families is key.  Places like Manchester that were first to integrate health and care services are ahead of the game.  Blackpool is another pioneer, with its ‘Better Start’ programme.  

It’s understandable that with so many really poorly teenagers in crisis, CAMHS is focused on their acute needs.  But the NHS pledge that mental health services should start at birth is important too. 

Parent-Infant Foundation research found that one in five mental health trusts don’t accept referrals of under 2s.  We know the first 1001 days of life is key for brain development, so if we are not reaching these most vulnerable babies, we are storing up problems for the future. 

Too often the most vulnerable babies are invisible to local services.  

Babies can’t of course speak up for themselves, so it’s crucial that through health visiting and family hubs we identify their needs and refer families for specialist support if they are at risk.

The Health Secretary has spoken of shifting the focus of the NHS (and the UK) from “sickness to prevention”. There can be no greater form of preventative medicine than tending to the mental and physical health of babies.

Tamora Langley is Head of Policy and Communications for the Parent-Infant Foundation

Categories

Health