[8th June 2026] Infant Mental Health Week (8–14 June) has shone a spotlight on the importance of early relationships in a child’s development, with a particular focus this year on the concept of attunement.
MumsAid, a multi-award-winning charity based in southeast London, is at the forefront of supporting mothers’ mental health and strengthening early parent–infant relationships. Founded in 2012 by Dr Miriam Donaghy, the organisation has supported more than 5,000 women and continues to respond to rising demand for perinatal mental health services—an area where access remains a significant national challenge.
We spoke with Dr Donaghy, MumsAid’s Founder and CEO, about why attunement matters, the risks when it is missing, and how the charity is making a measurable difference for families.
Attunement refers to a caregiver’s ability to recognise, understand and respond sensitively to a baby’s emotional cues.
“Put simply, it’s about being emotionally in tune with your baby,” Dr Donaghy explains. “It helps a child feel safe, loved and supported, and it’s essential for learning how to regulate emotions.”
Attunement has a profound role in early childhood development and, therefore infant mental health. Research consistently shows that the first five years of life are critical in shaping a child’s emotional, social and cognitive foundations. Positive early relationships play a central role in this process.
However, attunement can be difficult to achieve when mothers are struggling with their own mental health.
“When a mum is feeling depressed, anxious or overwhelmed, it can make it much harder to build that early bond with her baby,” says Dr Donaghy. “And that bond is so important—not just for the mother, but for the baby and the whole family.”
A lack of early connection can limit the amount of interaction and stimulation a baby receives, which is crucial for brain development. It may also affect a child’s ability to regulate emotions and form secure relationships later in life.
Evidence highlights the scale of the issue. Studies have shown that maternal anxiety is associated with developmental delays as early as one year of age, while maternal depression has been linked to a significantly higher risk of behavioural problems in children by the age of five.
“Supporting maternal mental health isn’t optional—it’s fundamental,” Dr Donaghy adds. “When we support a mother, we are helping to build the foundations for her child’s long-term wellbeing.”
Despite increasing awareness, access to perinatal mental health support remains limited. Recent estimates suggest that up to 10,000 mothers each year may miss out on essential care, while demand for services has risen far faster than availability.
MumsAid was established to address this gap, with a particular focus on reaching women from marginalised communities who often face barriers to accessing mainstream services. The charity’s approach is rooted in accessibility, flexibility and early intervention.
MumsAid delivers a comprehensive range of services designed to meet diverse needs. Its therapeutic model, STARK©, developed by Dr Donaghy, adopts a biopsychosocial approach that integrates emotional, social and practical support.
‘Mothers who go through MumsAid’s counselling programme show significant improvements in their mental health. These improvements mean better immediate quality of life for the mother, better bonds between mother and child, and as a result, better long-term emotional, developmental and educational outcomes for the child’. Hughson, 2024
Pregnant-then-blue-The-value-of-MumsAid-counselling-for-new-and-expectant-mothers.pdf
Core services include:
Alongside this, MumsAid delivers a number of targeted programmes:
This combination of therapy, peer support and practical assistance reflects the complex realities many mothers face.
[MumsAid’s] pioneering work … has clearly demonstrated how targeted, specialised support can transform outcomes (Journal of Midwifery )
MumsAid’s impact is supported by robust evaluation. Internal data shows consistently strong outcomes, including:
Independent analysis by Pro Bono Economics (2024) further found that 76% of mothers experienced significant improvements in mental health following counselling, with outcomes comparable to or exceeding national benchmarks for psychological therapies.
Beyond the statistics, however, are personal transformations, not only for mothers, but for their infants’ mental health.
A key area of impact is the YoungMumsAid service, which works with some of the most vulnerable mothers in the community. Many of these young women experience multiple disadvantages, including poverty, insecure housing, domestic abuse and adverse childhood experiences.
“Seeing the change in these young mums is incredibly powerful,” says Dr Donaghy. “With the right support, we see them grow in confidence, feel less alone, and start to believe in themselves as parents.”
This progress has a direct and visible impact on their babies. As mothers become more emotionally supported and stable, their relationships with their children strengthen, supporting healthy development.
Crucially, this work helps to break intergenerational cycles of disadvantage.
“It’s not just about supporting someone in the moment,” Dr Donaghy explains. “It’s about giving both mum and baby a stronger foundation for the future.”
Looking ahead
As demand for perinatal mental health services continues to rise, MumsAid is focused on expanding its reach and sharing its expertise across the maternal health sector. This includes contributing to research, delivering training, and supporting professionals working with families with complex needs.
“At its core, our work is about ensuring no mother is left without support,” says Dr Donaghy. “Because when mothers thrive, babies thrive too—and that benefits all of us.”