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• A new government campaign aims to support parents in nurturing their bond with their baby
• New research highlights many parents are unaware of the link between their baby鈥檚 good mental health and early childhood development
• Building close relationships in this critical period of social and emotional development reduces the likelihood of mental health difficulties throughout their lives

A new government campaign - Start for Life鈥檚 鈥榠f they could tell you鈥� - has launched to support parents to help build secure bonds to help nurture their baby鈥檚 future mental health, along with easy-to-follow guidance on the website.

The campaign aims to highlight that babies鈥� 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 baby鈥檚 needs.

A baby鈥檚 brain is making one million neural connections every second, making pregnancy and the first聽2 years聽so important for聽their聽healthy development.聽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:聽

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 2 years old is crucial for their future wellbeing.

Speaking with parents across the country, I鈥檝e 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.

Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Dr Jeanelle de Gruchy, said:

A strong, loving connection between parents or carers and their baby can play a significant role in developing the brain and protecting their mental health as they grow up.

This campaign will make it easier for parents and carers to interpret the way their baby is communicating with them and understand how best to meet their baby鈥檚 needs.

Raising a baby is not easy and I hope that new NHS trusted advice provided through the campaign will be a helpful source of information and support to parents and carers.

New guidance for frontline practitioners will also help start conversations with parents and carers to explore their relationship with their baby, in order to provide support.

The early years are a crucial time for the development of a child鈥檚 brain.聽Over a third (41%) of parents of under 2s in England are unaware that mental health starts to impact a child鈥檚 development before they are 2.

While most parents (95%) feel confident in supporting their baby鈥檚 emotional and social development, more than two-thirds (73%) of parents in the survey indicated they would welcome support in nurturing their connection with their baby further. 聽

The new survey from Censuswide, which explored parents鈥� understanding of building a positive connection with their baby, also found that over half (53%) of parents believe that parenting advice they received in their baby鈥檚 early life, such as letting the baby 鈥榗ry it out鈥� (53%) and limiting physical affection (52%) to avoid the baby becoming clingy was outdated, with almost a third (31%) of parents feeling guilty for following this advice when their baby鈥檚 cues indicated otherwise.

Child development expert, Dr Amanda Gummer, said:

Building a strong connection with your baby from pregnancy onwards helps to foster a sense of love and security, laying the foundations for their future wellbeing and mental health.

Tips for parents

Dr Gummer has these tips for parents to help interpret cues and build strong connections with your baby.聽聽

Mirror your baby鈥檚 reactions and emotions

Babies need you to help them learn about themselves and the world around them. Your baby might be telling you they鈥檙e ready to play if they鈥檙e smiling or cooing. You can mirror your baby鈥檚 reactions and emotions - such as smiling back if they have bright eyes - as this shows them that it鈥檚 OK to express those emotions.聽

Comfort your baby when they are crying

It鈥檚 important to respond to their cries, as well as their smiles, with love and reassurance. If your baby is crying, try soothing them with gentle rocking, speaking softly, or singing to them.

Remember, you cannot 鈥榮poil鈥� a baby with too many cuddles and it does not make them clingy. Babies will cry for different lengths and at different times, so try not to compare your baby to others. Babies also cry for different reasons;聽pain cries聽can be聽different to hunger or tired cries so聽try to understand what they鈥檙e telling you to help you respond appropriately.聽Looking after yourself聽is also really important and聽will help you聽to comfort your baby鈥檚 cries.聽

Enjoy playing face-to-face with your baby in everyday moments

The more you cuddle, look at and play face-to-face with your baby, the more secure they鈥檒l feel, and the more independent they鈥檒l become.聽In time, they will feel confident that you will be there for them. This can be as simple as saying what they do and name what they see, as you鈥檙e going about your routine.

Let your baby take breaks when they need them (and the same goes for you!)

Your baby鈥檚 body language, facial expressions, noises and cries are their ways of telling you what they need. Sometimes they might be telling you they just need a break. Show them that it鈥檚 ok if they need to try something different, or just to rest. Remember to also take care of yourself, and take a moment when needed, so you鈥檙e ready to understand and respond to your baby鈥檚 cues.

Find further information and support on the .

Background information

Start for Life聽is a national programme delivering trusted NHS advice and guidance on topics such as pregnancy, infant feeding and early child development.

Launched in August 2022, a 拢300 million family hubs and Start for Life programme is delivering a step change in outcomes for babies, children, and their parents and carers in 75 local authorities in England. The programme is set to run until March 2025 and is overseen jointly by the Department for Education (DfE) and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).

A practitioner鈥檚 guide to starting conversations about parent-infant relationships聽provides conversation prompts for frontline practitioners to explore a parent or carer鈥檚 relationship with their baby and a 3-step framework to help identify support needs.

The research was conducted by Censuswide, among a sample of 2,006 parents (17 plus) of under 2 year olds in England. The data was collected between 23 February and 1 March 2024. Censuswide abides by and employs members of the Market Research Society (MRS) and follows the MRS code of conduct and ESOMAR principles. Censuswide is also a member of the British Polling Council.

The campaign is part of the government鈥檚 拢1 billion investment to ensure every child gets the best possible start in life .

This includes around 拢300 million for Start for Life and family hubs in 75 local authorities across England, making it easier for families in those areas to access the vital services they need, and helping to improve health and education outcomes. This includes 拢100 million for bespoke perinatal mental health and parent-infant relationship support, which is being used to promote positive early relationships and good mental wellbeing for babies and their families. Read more in DfE鈥檚 blog: .

We have taken significant action to improve children鈥檚 health in the early years. This includes reducing sugar in children鈥檚 foods, supporting healthy diets for families from lower income households through schemes like Healthy Start and investing record amounts into children and young people鈥檚 mental health services.

We are also improving children鈥檚 oral health through our plan to recover and reform NHS dentistry and continue to provide one of the most extensive immunisation programmes in the world, with our vaccine confidence among the highest globally.