U.S. parents' baby knowledge lacking, study finds

By Julie Steenhuysen

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Nearly a third of U.S. parents know surprisingly little about typical infant development, and this lack of understanding can rob their babies of much-needed mental stimulation, researchers said on Sunday.

"There are numerous parenting books telling people what to expect when they're pregnant," said Dr. Heather Paradis of the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York.

"But once a baby is born, an astonishing number of parents are not only unsure of what to anticipate as their child develops, but are also uncertain of when, how or how much they are to help their babies reach various milestones, such as talking, grabbing, discerning right from wrong, or even potty-training," said Paradis, who presented her findings at Pediatric Academic Society meeting in Honolulu.

She and colleagues analyzed parenting know-how based on a national sample of parents representing more than 10,000 9-month-old babies.

These parents completed an 11-question survey designed to see which parents were well prepared and which were not.

The survey asked questions like, "Should a 1-year-old child be able to tell between right from wrong?" and "Should a 1-year-old child be ready to begin toilet-training?"

The correct answer to both is no.

Parents who got four or fewer correct answers were considered to have low parenting knowledge.