About a third of US parents know little about typical infant development, and this lack of understanding can rob their babies of much-needed mental stimulation, researchers said.
"There are parenting books telling people what to expect when they're pregnant," said Dr Heather Paradis of the University of Rochester Medical Centre in New York.
"But once a baby is born, a number of parents are not only unsure of what to anticipate as their child develops, but are also uncertain of when, how or how much they are to help their babies reach various milestones, such as talking, grabbing, discerning right from wrong, or even potty-training," said Paradis, who presented her findings at Paediatric Academic Society meeting in Honolulu at the weekend. She and colleagues analysed parenting know-how based on a national sample of parents representing more than 10 000 nine-month-old babies.
These parents completed an 11-question survey designed to see which parents were well prepared and which were not. The survey asked questions like, "Should a one-year-old be able to tell between right from wrong?" and "Should a one-year-old be ready to begin toilet-training?" The correct answer to both is no. Parents who got four or fewer correct answers were considered to have low parenting knowledge.
The researchers also looked at information provided by the parents about how often they engaged their children in enrichment activities, such as reading books, singing or telling stories.
"Parents who had less knowledge had less quality interaction with their kids," Paradis said.
Paradis said one way to address the problem is to urge pediatricians to educate parents during well-baby visits. - Reuters