
ACTION
Alarm Distress Baby Scale (ADBB) is a clinically validated observation tool that detects signs of social withdrawal among babies and supports parents and carers with bonding and attachment.
It was developed in Paris by child psychiatrist Professor Antoine Guedeney in 2001 and trialled by health visitors across Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust and South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust in 2023, after receiving funding from the Royal Foundation for Early Childhood.
Health visitors used the tool with new parents of babies aged six to eight weeks during July and November 2023 as part of their routine holistic health and development assessment.
During a 10-to-15-minute interaction, such as being undressed for weighing and measuring or having a nappy change, health visitors rated babies’ social behaviours on a scale of nought to four. They observed eye contact, facial expression, vocalisation, activity levels and how the baby connects with the people and world.
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