Princess of Wales ‘delighted’ that her NHS initiative for babies will be expanded

The Princess of Wales is “delighted” after her first NHS scientific trial, designed to support the emotional development of babies, proved so successful it is being expanded to eight NHS trusts.

The trial evaluates the use of a special tool used by health visitors at the regular six-to-eight-week check to identify babies at risk during a critical period of development. It also helps improve understanding of the ways babies communicate.

The Princess saw the system, called the alarm distress baby scale (ADBB), in action during an official visit to Copenhagen in February 2022 and was so impressed that she began exploring whether it could be introduced in Britain.

A pilot scheme that ran from June to December 2023 at South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust and Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust had “overwhelmingly positive results”.

Phase two, which is being funded by a £210,000 grant from the Royal Foundation’s Centre for Early Childhood, will run until March 2026 at six additional NHS trusts including Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare and Rotherham Doncaster and South Humber.

The Princess is said to be thrilled by its expansion. Her spokesman said: “The work of the Centre for Early Childhood continues to shine a light on just how important the first five years of life are for any baby and the role we can all play.

“The Princess is delighted to see the expansion of the ADBB trial and looks forward to following it closely.”

The Princess has previously warned that “not enough is being done” to nurture Britain’s youngest children and has vowed to use her platform to do “everything she can” to shine a light on the “crucial” early years to improve outcomes for the next generation.

She is keen to champion the role of health visitors, who have crucial contact with parents and carers in the first days and weeks after birth.

Speaking to staff at the Riversley Park Children’s Centre in Nuneaton, in June 2023, she said “the more health visitors, the better” as she hailed their “critical” work.

‘I find that fascinating’

During the engagement, which came seven months before a cancer diagnosis forced her to step back from public duties, she joined an online ADBB session, noting: “How much you can pick up in terms of baby cues at such a small age and help pass on to parents… and signs to look for, and this is how they communicate with you, I find that fascinating.”

The ADBB tool offers a more systematic way of observing babies’ behaviour. Any concerns would prompt a referral for a more in-depth assessment with a specialist health visitor.

Those who have already trialled the tool said it had allowed them to have more meaningful conversations with parents and carers about the emotional wellbeing of their babies, promoted positive interactions and bonding and identified those in need of greater support.

Christian Guy, the executive director of the Centre for Early Childhood, said that health visitors do a “vital job” that needed support.

“We know that warm, loving, responsive interactions with those closest to them during the earliest weeks and months of a baby’s life are crucial in promoting positive brain development,” he added.

“I am delighted that we are now able to give more teams across the UK the support they need to help thousands of families to better understand their babies and build nurturing relationships, laying the strongest possible foundations for all that is to come in the years that follow.”

Alison Morton, the chief executive of the Institute of Health Visiting, said the organisation was “delighted”to have the continued support of the Royal Foundation in delivering the second phase of the programme.

“As we know, babies can’t talk, but there is significant evidence that their early experiences influence their future outcomes,” she said.

“The expansion of the use of the modified ADBB tool in a wider range of health-visiting services will allow us to consider its future implementation and sustainability, and ensure more families get the right support and babies can thrive.”

The Princess has often spoken about the importance of taking a “holistic” approach to work with under-fives.

In 2023, she said: “Right at the beginning the more you can do to help facilitate that the better the opportunities are later on.”