Summary of Key Points
Estimates from the National Psychiatric Morbidity Survey suggest:
• Around 79,000 babies under one in England are living with a parent who is classified as a ‘harmful’ or ‘hazardous’ drinker.
• Around 43,000 babies under one in England are living with a parent who has used an illegal drug in the past year. Substance misuse in pregnancy is a key public health issue not only because of the associated negative impacts on foetal and infant outcomes, but because these harms are preventable and can be remedied or at least attenuated.
Babyhood is a time of particular vulnerability. Studies have shown that babies are more likely to suffer neglect and abuse and are seven times more likely to be killed than other children. Pregnancy and infancy offer an important window of opportunity for intervention – help at this life stage is often well received by parents and can help to set the template for effective parenting and strong relationships.