New Survey From Infant & Toddler Forum Finds That Pressure to Get it Right Overwhelms New Parents
LONDON, November 13, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --
The survey, from leading child health and nutrition experts the Infant & Toddler Forum (ITF), of 1000 UK parents (1) with children under the age of three revealed that while the majority (79 per cent) find parenting more rewarding than they had expected, a similar number (70 per cent) also feel more pressure than they had anticipated. In addition, more than 60 per cent said they felt more anxious, judged, guilty and lonely (53 per cent) than expected.
High levels of anxiety, feelings of guilt, and loneliness leave some parents feeling overwhelmed when it comes to the challenges of parenting in the first year of life. While most parents believe they are confident and are doing well, the survey suggests that the rewards and pressure to be a "natural" at parenting may come at a price.
In the world of Facebook, Instagram and a host of mum-forums, comparisons and advice from other parents can provide both validation and anxieties particularly around feeding their baby. Over one third (35 per cent) of parents reported that they often put more value on the feeding advice they received from online communities and social media than from healthcare professionals, and around one in ten (11 per cent) felt pressured and stressed by the volume of information they were receiving. Eight per cent even felt judged because others suggested their baby should be making more progress.
To provide support at this amazing yet challenging time, the ITF have developed the Ten Steps for Feeding Babies (0-12 months) - practical tips, simple and sound advice for parents and carers to cater for babies' nutritional milestones and help provide a positive support throughout the first year of life.
An infographic is available for download here.
References:
- 1000 parents with children aged 0 - 4 years (OnePoll), conducted April 2018. Data on file
- 120 healthcare professionals (40 pharmacists, health visitors and GPs, Health Focus Research), conducted February 2018
About the Infant & Toddler Forum
- The Infant & Toddler Forum brings together an independent, multi-disciplinary team of experts and practitioners from paediatrics, neonatology, health visiting, dietetics, child psychology and midwifery to share new ideas and to debate the latest thinking in infant and toddler nutrition
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