Babies’ failure to bond can lead to problems at school

Rosemary Bennett in The Times covered our research on the importance of strong bonds between babies and parents.

As many as two in five babies fail to bond effectively with their parents so the strong emotional foundation they need to succeed in life is missing, according to a new study.

The study said that children who fail to “attach” in a healthy way are often slow to develop language skills and display bad behaviour from a young age. Later on, they can suffer from obesity, aggression and hyperactivity, underperforming in education and work.

The research, drawing on several large international studies on attachment, was conducted by the Sutton Trust, which helps children from underprivileged backgrounds get into top universities.

Read the full article here.

Further coverage in The Times and Sunday Times

• Help well-off to bond with their babies – Rosemary Bennett in The Times on 17 March
• Middle-class mothers ‘need lessons to bond with babies’ – Sian Griffiths in the Sunday Times on 16 March