Government launch ‘If They Could Tell You’ campaign

Welcoming a baby into the world brings with it all types of feelings and emotions, which is why support from the start is so important.

A new campaign – Start for Life’s If They Could Tell You – has launched to support parents in strengthening their bonds with their baby and nurturing their child’s future mental health. The campaign aims to highlight babies’ 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 learn how to interpret these cues so they can find the best way to meet their child’s needs.

A baby’s brain is making one million new connections every second, and the early years are a crucial time for the development of a child’s brain. However, more than a third (41%) of parents in England are unaware that mental health starts to impact their child’s development before they are two – making the first two years so important. The experiences babies have in their first two years play a big role in shaping their future happiness and mental wellbeing.

Ryan spoke to child development expert Dr Amanda Gummer.

Photo by Nikoline Arns on Unsplash