Bonding is the emotional connection parents feel towards their baby. A strong bond supports child development, but many parents struggle to develop a bond. Despite NHS recommendations to identify early bonding issues, many healthcare practitioners find it difficult in practice and parents may feel ashamed to share bonding concerns.
Health visitors and clinical psychologists from Bradford, Doncaster and North Lincolnshire worked with parents to create and design the Me and My Baby (MAM-B) Questionnaire. This questionnaire is short, easy to use and helps practitioners open up conversations with parents about bonding with their baby.
Healthcare staff in Hull and the Humber region are now using the questionnaire with parents experiencing mental health difficulties. This means they can signpost parents to support when needed to develop a stronger relationship with their baby. We plan to explore cross-cultural application of MaMB and work with partners to embed it in practice more widely.
