Letter to the Editor

Students have found it difficult to find families. Baby groups, playgroups and other groups for mothers and babies are not running which means that it is harder for students to make contact with pregnant women who might consider agreeing to an infant observation. This is particularly difficult currently when students are themselves working online which means they cannot readily make contacts through work where they might be able to describe what infant observation is, talk about the idea and answer questions. Additionally, throughout the year, families’ routines have been subject to sudden changes,. They have, for example, had to make different arrangements as “lockdown” regulations change. For example, older children in the UK were, at first, at home, and then encouraged to return to school before the summer, only to be asked to stay at home again in l Autumn 2020. Difficulties arose in establishing a daily routine while families were self-isolating, and home-schooling older children, which created a challenge in establishing a predictable, regular, hourly observation time.