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UNICEF and H&M Foundation urge fathers to speak Baby Talk to boost their babies' brains
Today, UNICEF and non-profit H&M Foundation launch Baby Talk For Dads. The initiative encourages dads to interact more with their babies at an early age, and highlights how baby talk stimulates learning and development. To learn the most important language in the world for boosting your baby’s brain, an interactive course is available at babytalkfordads.org. In a film to launch the initiative, real-life dads try to master the art of baby talk.
The Baby Talk for Dads initiative is part of a Global Program on Early Childhood Development that was launched by UNICEF and non-profit H&M Foundation in 2014. It has so far reached more than 135,000 children.
– Baby talk may sound silly to us, but not to your child. It actually helps develop their brain. But as it turns out, dads don’t speak baby talk as much as moms do – and that needs to change. Now, we challenge dads to become fluent baby talkers through Baby Talk for Dads. It´s a fun and easy tool to highlight a very important issue, says Diana Amini, Global Manager, H&M Foundation.
Research shows that when we speak slower, more melodically and make exaggerated sounds it makes it easier for babies to learn new words and develop cognitive abilities[1].
It’s important for all caregivers to have two-way conversations with babies, using eye contact, mirroring baby's expressions and responding to cues. Meanwhile, studies show that moms and dads don’t interact with their babies in the same way – neither when it comes to how they talk to them or how often they do it[2].
– Healthy brain development during the early years of life is reliant upon responsive interactions and stimulating experiences, along with good nutrition and protection – and it is parents who hold the biggest stake in providing this environment. We hope that this innovative tool helps inspire fathers and all caregivers to talk more with their babies, says UNICEF Chief of Early Childhood Development Dr. Pia Britto.
The Baby Talk For Dads course consists of three playful voice exercises caregivers can do with or without their child. Each exercise has been developed using the expertise of researcher Dr. Marina Kalashnikova from The Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and Language, and focuses on topics such as tone of voice and how to have a two-way interaction with your baby.
– When we talk to our babies from the earliest moment of life – particularly in melodic, high-pitched, and exaggerated tones – we have a profound impact on their cognitive development. In our research we’ve seen marked differences in the early development of babies who have experienced responsive baby talk with their caregivers and other family members around them, to those that haven’t, says Dr. Kalashnikova.
[1] See "documents" below
[2] See "documents" below
Notes to Editors
Baby Talk for Dads has been developed in collaboration with Dr Marina Kalashnikova, researcher in Infancy Studies and staff scientist at The Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and Language. More information about Dr Kalashnikova and her research can be found here.
Images, a short launch film, can be found in the bottom of this press release.
At http://babytalkfordads.org caregivers can share the course on Facebook, Twitter or via e-mail. It is also possible to post it on Instagram with the hashtag #babytalkfordads.
For further information, please contact:
Ingeborg Ekblom, UNICEF Sverige, ingeborg.ekblom@unicef.se
Malin Björne, H&M Foundation, malin.bjorne@hmfoundation.com
About H&M Foundation
The H&M Foundation is a non-profit global foundation headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden. Its mission is to drive long lasting, positive change and improve living conditions by investing in people, communities and innovative ideas. Through partnerships with organisations around the globe, the H&M Foundation aims to accelerate the progress needed to reach the UN Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. It focuses on four areas; Education, Water, Equality and Planet. The H&M Foundation is privately funded by the Stefan Persson family, founders and main owners of H&M group. Since 2013, the Stefan Persson family has donated 1.5 billion Swedish krona ($200 million/€163 million) to the H&M Foundation. hmfoundation.com and follow @hmfoundation on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.
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UNICEF, världens ledande barnrättsorganisation, arbetar i 190 länder för alla barns rätt till överlevnad, trygghet, utveckling och inflytande – både på lång sikt och i katastrofer. Uppgiften är att skapa varaktiga förändringar, inte bara för några barn i en by eller i ett land, utan för alla barn i hela världen. Det handlar om att förverkliga barnkonventionen och se till att alla barn får rent vatten, hälsovård, vaccin, skola, hjälp i katastrofer och skydd mot våld, övergrepp och diskriminering. De barn som har störst behov får hjälp först, oavsett nationalitet, religion eller landets politiska ledning. Arbetet för barnen finansieras helt av frivilliga bidrag.
