ABC Bringing up Baby disclaimer

The ABC has bowed to pressure from parenting websites over the UK series Bringing Up Baby, due to its inclusion of an unqualified maternity nurse who was fradulently exposed in the UK in 2007.

Claire Verity (pictured, centre) advises parents to leave their newborn outside alone and to limit cuddling to ten minutes each day so as not to spoil them.

Now the ABC will run a disclaimer stating: “The ABC advises that the term ‘maternity nurse’ used in this program does not signify a professionally qualified nurse but rather someone with experience in caring for babies and children.”

After its investigation, ABC TV issued a statement:

Bringing Up Baby does not endorse or promote any one method of child rearing. Rather, it allows for the featured parents and mentors – and viewers – to debate the relative pros and cons of each approach, and to understand them in their historical context. The methods are based on three of the most popular child rearing manuals of the 20th century, which remain in the public domain, and the narration and sometimes heated on-screen discussion makes it very clear when advice offered is potentially controversial or differs from current health recommendations.

In order to clarify the qualifications of featured mentor Claire Verity, the following advisory note will precede the broadcast of each remaining episode of Bringing Up Baby:

UPDATED: “Some of the parenting practices advocated by the mentors in this series are not consistent with current, scientifically based, safe sleeping messages and can increase the risks of sudden and unexpected death in infancy including SIDS and fatal sleeping accidents.

The ABC advises that the term ‘maternity nurse’ used in this program does not signify a professionally qualified nurse but rather someone with experience in caring for babies and children.”

The following websites will be provided at the end of each remaining episode of Bringing Up Baby:
sidsandkids.org
abc.net.au/parenting

The now-controversial doco airs 8:30pm Thursday night on ABC1.