Got this yesterday...
Media Statement
12 October 2007
NSPCC statement in response to parenting method tested in 'Bringing up
baby'
The NSPCC is warning parents that 'Bringing up Baby' is publicising
outdated and potentially harmful methods of baby care and is calling
on TV executives to be more careful when making such programmes.
The programme has provoked one of the highest levels of inquiries the
charity has experienced in recent years, with more than 60 messages
from viewers expressing their concerns at some of the methods it promotes.
One method tested in the programme relies on what the NSPCC considers
as strict, inflexible routines which deny eye contact between parent
and baby during feeding, promote limited cuddling and leave infants to
cry alone for long periods. These rigid routines appeared to leave
some babies and parents taking part in the programme in distress.
NSPCC parenting advisor Eileen Hayes said: "Suggesting that a small
baby could be 'manipulative' is discredited and can lead to
potentially damaging patterns of care. Similarly leaving babies to cry
for long periods is stressful and research suggests it may be
damaging. Strict authoritarian routines pay little attention to
parents' natural instincts about their infants or the wealth of
research that has shown the importance of early sensitive care for
health and well-being. It's the most natural thing in the world for a
mother to want to cuddle and make eye contact with her newborn - and
babies love it as well.
"Babies are born with a social instinct and communicate through touch,
sound, eye contact and facial expressions. This sensitive
communication plays a vital role in attachment, and ensuring that
infants develop a sense of trust and security, which gives a firm
foundation for their growing sense of identity and self-esteem.
"The first weeks after birth are a crucial period when parents and
babies get to know one other. It can be a very challenging time when
vulnerable parents are particularly anxious to get advice about the
best way to care for their baby. Programme-makers must recognise that
some viewers may consider what they see as an approved method. They
have a responsibility to tell viewers when methods are widely disputed
by health professionals and academics."
Ends