Commons Sense

House of Commons · Westminster Hall

Infant Mental Health Awareness Week — [Mrs Sheryll Murray in the Chair]

16 June 2022 · 6 other contributors · 13,050 words

Opened by Andrea Leadsom Con South Northamptonshire

Responding minister: Gillian Keegan

Mental HealthNHS

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Andrea Leadsom raised concerns about infant mental health awareness week — [mrs sheryll murray in the chair] in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.

Key points

  • Human beings are the most underdeveloped creatures at birth, with undeveloped brains and responses.
  • A secure and loving relationship between a baby and their carer is crucial from conception to age two for lifelong physical and emotional health.
  • The Government should fund the 'Best Start for Life' vision to ensure every baby gets the best start through a set of integrated services.

Key requests to Government

The Government should continue to fund the 'Best Start for Life' vision and ensure that every baby gets the best start in life through a joined-up set of services, family hubs, trusted digital support, a modern workforce, understanding of early intervention impact, data collection and evaluation, and local and national leadership.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Andrea Leadsom Con South Northamptonshire

Human beings are the most underdeveloped creatures on earth at birth, with undeveloped brains and responses. From conception to two years old, a secure and loving relationship between a baby and their carer is crucial for laying down lifelong physical and emotional health building blocks. Stress during pregnancy can lead to high levels of cortisol in the foetus, impacting its development. Poor mental health among parents leads to poorer outcomes for babies and young children, with socioeconomically deprived areas facing higher levels of poor maternal mental health.

Other contributors (6)
  • Lisa Cameron SNP East Kilbride and Strathaven

    The government must provide more support for children's mental health services, recognising the significant increase in referrals during Infant Mental Health Awareness Week.

  • Jim Shannon DUP Strangford

    The MP expressed support for the debate's focus on infant mental health and highlighted the critical role of maternal care, especially in the early years. He mentioned that lockdowns during the pandemic exacerbated child isolation, leading to developmental issues such as 'being strange with strangers.' Shannon asked the Minister about additional assistance or funding for parents whose children were born or aged between two and five during covid.

  • Lisa Cameron SNP East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow

    Stressed the importance of secure attachment in early childhood and highlighted various therapies such as family therapy, behaviour therapy, and play therapy. Emphasized the role of natural environments like playgrounds for children's well-being. Mentioned adverse childhood experiences and their link to criminal justice involvement. Advocated for early diagnosis and support for children with learning difficulties or autism spectrum disorder through community health services. Highlighted the importance of parenting programmes and access to paediatric care, including mental health parity.

  • Munira Wilson Lib Dem Twickenham

    I am delighted to have the opportunity to discuss the importance of infant mental health, which is a significant issue that affects many young families. The Government must take immediate action to ensure that every child receives the support they need. Wilson highlighted the importance of mental health support for infants in contact with children's social care. She noted that relational trauma can be more damaging than other forms of early trauma and called on the Minister to explain how the Government plans to achieve 100% access to specialist support for under-threes by 2029, as per the NHS long-term plan. She also praised local charities like the Purple Elephant Project in Twickenham that provide vital therapeutic services and urged the government to make the adoption support fund permanent and extend its eligibility criteria to kinship carers. She highlighted the cultural shift towards fathers taking more active roles in childcare, noting that her husband has been the primary carer for their two children since infancy.

  • Rosena Allin-Khan Lab Tooting

    She thanked the right hon. Member for South Northamptonshire and other MPs for their contributions, highlighting the importance of addressing adverse childhood experiences as a key driver of mental illness in later life. She noted that the pandemic has exacerbated inequalities in society, with 50,000 children aged zero to five living in homes with domestic violence, adult drug or alcohol dependency and adult mental illness. Allin-Khan expressed concern over the shortage of child and adolescent mental health services, where only a third of children were able to access treatment despite increased demand, and noted that 42% of child and adolescent mental health services in England do not accept referrals for children aged two and under.

  • Sarah Olney Lib Dem Richmond Park

    Sarah Olney highlighted the impact of lockdown on first-time mothers, emphasizing the importance of maternal mental health and its link to infant mental health. She discussed gaps in services for parent-infant relationship teams and stressed the need for support from health visitors, noting that many families are not receiving mandated reviews due to workforce shortages and challenges posed by digital contact methods during the pandemic.

Government Response

Gillian Keegan

It is a pleasure to serve under the chairmanship of Mrs Sheryll Murray. I thank my right hon. Friend the Member for South Northamptonshire (Dame Andrea Leadsom) for securing this debate and congratulate her on her speech, which was insightful and educational. The development of babies in their first years is crucial and requires vital support. The Government are at the beginning of a journey to shape policy in infant mental health, an area not particularly party political but about impacting real people's lives positively. The minister welcomes being able to speak during Infant Mental Health Awareness Week. The importance of secure attachment relationships between parents or carers and their babies is highlighted as essential for positive long-term developmental outcomes. Perinatal mental health difficulties are common, with approximately one in five mothers and one in 10 fathers experiencing such issues during the critical days. These difficulties can be passed on to children, impacting both parental and child mental health. The minister visited Knowsley's building attachment and bonds service, noting that early intervention is crucial for family stability and development. The Government are investing £302 million in start for life services, including £100 million for perinatal mental health and parent-infant relationship support, £50 million for breastfeeding support, and £50 million for parenting support. This funding aims to tackle entrenched inequalities and improve access to mental health support. The investment complements the NHS long-term plan's ambition to expand mental health services, with 345,000 more children and young people having access to specialist care by 2023-24. The minister acknowledges the importance of workforce development, including clinical psychologists, child and adolescent psychotherapists, psychiatrists, and perinatal workers. To reduce stigma associated with perinatal mental health difficulties, the family hub model will ensure services are welcoming places for all families, promoting conversations about mental health, bonding, and attachment. The minister highlights the need to address disparities in support availability across different regions and the importance of providing equal access to fathers and co-parents. The Government's Start for Life programme will enhance workforce capability and capacity through training and upskilling initiatives. Additional investments include an extra £200 million in the supporting families programme, enabling help earlier and promoting better outcomes for 300,000 additional families. A consultation on a new 10-year mental health plan is open until 7 July, with specific questions about babies and their parents or carers.

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