The Princess of Wales has been working from home on her early years project to improve the lives of babies, it is understood. Kate, 42, is easing back into normal life after her abdominal surgery at the London Clinic, which has put three workers under investigation after it emerged this week that the royal's security was allegedly breached.
The future queen is now slowly returning to work, and a report is due to be published today into her Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood, which funded a trial of a baby observation tool. The device, known as the Alarm Distress Baby Scale (ADBB), is set to be used by health visitors to improve how they spot signs of social and emotional development in young children.
Kensington Palace confirmed Princess Kate had been kept up to date with her campaign and the “overwhelmingly positive” results of a study she inspired. Having personally suggested that the tool could be used in Britain after seeing a similar system during a royal visit to Denmark, the Princess has been particularly invested in the four-month trial.
The report is expected to recommend expanding the use of the tool to health visiting teams in more areas of the UK. Health visitors used ADBB to help families better understand the ways babies express their feelings. Researchers at the Institute of Health Visiting and the University of Oxford recognised the benefits, including how it helps early years' development, helps babies better maintain eye contact and identifies families in greater need of support.
Christian Guy, executive director of the Centre for Early Childhood, said: “The results of the initial phase of testing are so encouraging. We now want to move quickly to ensure we build on this work, bringing the benefits of this model to more health visitors across the country.” Dr Jane Barlow, professor at the University of Oxford, added: “It is truly exciting to think about [the] impact this could have on families right across the country.”
