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Trial of health visitor tool funded by the Royal Foundation expanded

A tool designed to help health visitors observe babies’ social behaviour and promote stronger parent-infant interactions will be trialled across eight NHS Trusts this year, following a successful pilot programme.
PHOTO: The Royal Foundation / Tom Arran

The Alarm Distress Baby Scale (ADBB), funded by The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood, was trialled by health visitors across Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust and South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust in 2023 with ‘overwhelmingly positive results’.
Phase two of the trial will be extended to a further eight NHS foundation trusts across the UK, including health boards in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The tool, widely used internationally to promote infant wellbeing and social development, provides insight into babies’ communication, attachments and social emotional development.

If early signs of a potential difficulty in the parent-infant relationship are identified, health visitors can work with families to explore the underlying reasons and introduce timely, targeted support. 

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