Is Daycare Bad for our Babies? Part Two

Let's continue the debate on whether Daycare is Bad for Babies.

Every day we become exposed to new research on brain development.

We used to think brain development depended on genes, early experiences had a limited effect on later development and a toddler's brain was less active than an adults. We now know that early experiences are critical, they build and shape the brain and that the brain of a three year old is twice as active as an adults.

Most importantly of all is every baby needs loving one on one car. The attention that we receive as babies impacts on our brain structures. If we find ourselves cared for by people who love us, and who are highly sensitive to our unique personalities, the pleasure of those relationships will help to trigger the development of the "social brain".

The kind of brain that each baby develops is the brain that comes out of his or her experiences with other people. Love facilitates a massive burst of connections in this part of the brain between six and 12 months. Neglect at this time can greatly reduce the development of the pre-frontal cortex.

Early care also establishes the way we deal with stress. Babies rely on their carers to soothe distress and restore equilibrium. Researchers have found clear links between harsh treatments in the first two years and later antisocial behaviour. Research has given relevance to two debates - on smacking and on childcare.

Looked at from this perspective, one can clearly see that smacking is damaging and that babies can only cope with about 10 hours a week of daycare before it may start to affect their emotional development, particularly if the care is of low quality. The strongest research findings are that full time care during the first and second years is strongly linked to later behaviour problems.

These findings are not what working parents want to hear, nor what a government is dedicated to getting parents back to work wants to hear. It is time to think clearly about what our new options might be. Most women don't want to return to an age of compulsory full time motherhood and apple pie, especially given the stress and loneliness of being marooned at home with only a baby for company. (And what women want matters: a depressed parent is not good for babies either.) On the other hand, we can't afford not to provide the kind of loving one to one nurturing that babies need, if we want to have a cooperative, socially skilled society.

We have to come up with new flexible solutions, such as extended paid parental leave, that enable both parents to be involved with their baby while keeping the family economy afloat. We need to ensure our childcare options are of the highest quality and that parents have more choice by reducing the cost of one on one childcare in a familiar environment such as home based childcare. It is not 'anti-feminist' to look for such solutions. By investing our time and money in the first two years of life, we will be repaid in greater social stability. Please put your children into decent daycare, you won't regret spending money on quality childcare.

Carol Stovoid