Enhancing Baby-Parent Connections: The Work of Professor Jane Barlow and Dr Michael Fanner
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We are thrilled to announce our partnership with The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood for Phase Two of the ground-breaking ADBB (Alarm Distress Baby Scale) study. This vital initiative builds on the successes of Phase One to further enhance the ability of health visitors to interpret baby behaviour and support families.
The Princess of Wales first highlighted the use of the ADBB tool during her visit to Denmark in 2022. In 2023, the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood funded the first phase of the study to assess the feasibility of implementing the tool in the UK, with overwhelmingly positive results.
Phase Two, conducted in collaboration with the Institute of Health Visiting (iHV), aims to expand the use of the ADBB tool across multiple health visiting sites in the UK, including Scotland, Wales, England, and Northern Ireland. This phase will evaluate the tool’s impact on referrals, family outcomes, and its acceptability to parents and practitioners.
Professor Jane Barlow and Dr Michael Fanner are at the forefront of this important research. The ADBB tool focuses on babies’ social behaviours—such as eye contact, vocalisation, and activity levels—to help practitioners identify early signs of distress and foster nurturing relationships between parents and infants.
Professor Barlow, co-leading this research, brings her wealth of expertise to this collaborative project, which seeks to explore the feasibility, long-term impact, and sustainability of the ADBB tool. Dr Fanner’s contributions further underscore the importance of evidence-based interventions in shaping early childhood development.
This ambitious initiative highlights the critical role of research in promoting infant wellbeing and creating a brighter future for families.
To learn more about the findings from Phase One, click here.
