Give babies the best start despite pandemic

Working for Babies: Lockdown Lessons From Local Systems looks at what it calls the “baby blind-spots” of government and decision makers, referring to the historic lack of focus on the needs of babies and infants (from conception to two) and the failure, in England particularly, to give the needs of babies the same focus as other age groups.

During lockdown the number of times professionals physically see this vulnerable group has been significantly reduced.

A reported rise in unexplained injuries in children aged 0-5 combined with a rise in parental anxiety and incidents of domestic abuse, and a reduction in referrals to services, is leaving our most vulnerable children even more vulnerable. Family and friends are no longer able to visit, the days of the newborn baby coming home to be held and cooed over by every relative and family friend has been replaced by virtually no contact with the outside world. Locally parents tell us that their babies and toddlers are nervous and anxious when they meet new people as they are used to only seeing the members of their household. The Working for Babies report makes the case quite succinctly that being a baby during lockdown is a risk factor in its own right due to their specific needs and vulnerabilities and dependency on not only others but their environment as well.