Parents of infants admit to ‘just winging’ the first six months of their baby’s life & Covid hasn’t made things easier

OVER 68 percent of parents have admitted to “just winging” the first six months of their baby’s life, a new study showed.

The study, which was conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Enfamil, proved that raising a child in real life is different than what the books say.

GettyA study revealed that over 2,000 parents admitted to having no idea what they were doing with their newborns[/caption]

Getty – ContributorSome parents also claimed that the Covid-19 pandemic has made things even harder[/caption]

Over 2,000 American parents (68 percent) with children between the ages of zero and one revealed they had no clue what they were doing for the first six months of their newborn’s life.

And the current health crisis hasn’t made things easier.

Sixty-eight percent of parents said the Covid-19 pandemic has completely changed the way they take care of their children.

In addition to being a parent, many have taken up other roles at home, such as being a chef (55 percent), daycare provider (51 percent), a housekeeper (50 percent), and teacher (50 percent) over the past year.

Juggling all of these jobs have cut the sleep of nearly a third (31 percent) of parents, who average about five hours of sleep every night.

Besides not getting enough sleep (63 percent), parents also struggle with not having enough time for self-care (58 percent) or for running other errands during the day (56 percent).

The survey also revealed nearly half of parents (49 percent) are worried about their infant’s cognitive development and health.

Parents often seek advice when it comes to their baby’s health and development – and for 54 percent, their baby’s pediatrician is their top choice for getting words of wisdom, followed by friends (45 percent), and online searches (43 percent).

However, all of this advice can be overwhelming for 56 percent of parents since three in four (73 percent) want to prioritize caring for their infant’s emotional needs just as much as their physical ones.

“As a pediatrician and mother, I am extremely passionate about informing new parents on how to fuel their baby’s development and immune health.” said pediatrician and Enfamil NeuroPro spokesperson, Dr. Mona Amin.

“The first year is critical to a baby’s cognitive development and growth – to maximize this window of opportunity, baby’s brain and immune system need to be nourished.”

Seven in ten (69 percent) respondents said they wish there were more accessible resources so they could help their child’s cognitive development.

That’s why eight in ten (81 percent) took advantage of their time off during the pandemic by bonding more with their child.

Parents also encouraged their little ones to play with learning-based toys or games (70 percent), read books to them (66 percent) and sing nursery rhymes together (62 percent) about five days a week.

To further stimulate their cognitive development, respondents noted that they show their children their reflection (62 percent) and feed them enriching foods (56 percent).

Two-thirds (67 percent) of parents feed their baby infant formula, and most (85 percent) said they take the time to do extensive research and pay close attention to ingredients and the benefits before selecting a formula for their child.

“One of the things that most parents surveyed (94 percent) specifically value in the formula is the ability to provide cognitive development and immune support for their baby,” said Dr. Amin.

“In order to fuel their potential, parents should supplement their baby’s brain-building formula with interactive and independent activities that will exercise their baby’s cognitive development to set them up for the best start in life.”

Getty – ContributorParents are especially worried about feeding their kids nutritionous foods[/caption]