The Princess of Wales is said to be “delighted” at plans to expand a programme to promote babies’ wellbeing across the UK. The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood and the Institute of Health Visiting (iHV) have confirmed the expansion of the trial of a tool used by health visitors within routine checks to eight new areas.
The Alarm Distress Baby Scale (ADBB) model is a system Kate saw in practice during a 2022 visit to Denmark that assesses how babies interact with their environment. Under the ADBB model, a baby’s eye contact, facial expressions, vocalisation and activity levels are studied to help health professionals and families better understand the ways they express their feelings, and to support parents with bonding.
It can also be used to recognise early signs of psychological distress, enabling specialist support to be accessed as soon as it is needed. After Kate saw health visitors in Denmark using the tool, the Centre for Early Childhood then worked with the Institute of Health Visiting (iHV) and Oxford University to test it in the UK.
Health visitors involved in phase one – which took place in South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust and Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust – said they were able to have more meaningful conversations with parents and carers about the emotional wellbeing of their baby.
