Maternity Nurses, Nannies and the Infant Sleep Industry

Debate between Connor Rand and Jim Shannon

Monday 8th June 2026 Commons Chamber

[Mr Connor Rand (Altrincham and Sale West) (Lab)]

Being a parent is the one of the greatest joys we can have in life, but let me be clear, it is also one of the hardest things we ever do. I remember the first year of my son’s life and the happiness those precious early moments brought me and my partner, but I also remember the less precious moments, with the daily battle every new parent has with their own anxieties as they ask themselves, “Why are they crying? Why are not they sleeping? Am I doing something wrong?” Those questions swirl around our heads at a time when we are sleep deprived, emotionally drained and totally unsure of ourselves—in other words, we are vulnerable.

What do we do in that situation? We seek out help, expertise and people we think we can trust. In the majority of circumstances, that is absolutely the right thing to do—health visitors and the vast majority of nannies who provide responsible care give parents vital support that helps them get by—but what if, when we turned for help, the person who responded was not someone we could trust? What if they were not the expert they claimed or seemed to be? What if they had no qualifications, no training and no accountability? When that happens, we run the risk of unimaginable tragedy.

[Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP)]

I commend the hon. Gentleman for bringing forward this really good debate; I spoke to him about it last week. He will be aware that, as it stands today across the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, anyone can buy a website domain, call themselves an infant sleep expert or a maternity nurse and charge vulnerable, sleep-deprived parents hundreds of pounds for unregulated, untested and potentially unsafe advice. Does he agree that sleep-deprived and vulnerable parents need to have security that the advice they are taking comes from a solid foundation, and that qualifications—or lack of qualifications—must be clear when advice is offered?

[Mr Rand]

I thank the hon. Member. The vulnerability that parents feel in that moment is one of the reasons why it is so important that we ensure adequate regulation in this area. At the moment, we run the risk of unimaginable tragedies day after day, and it is happening more and more as the support we used to provide for new parents has shrunk. In the gaps that has created, the infant sleep industry has boomed. The industry is currently a wild west where, as the hon. Member said, anyone can pose as an expert and give parents advice that puts their child’s life at risk. Sometimes, these people call themselves maternity nurses, practitioners or consultants. Sometimes they call themselves sleep trainers or specialists. Sometimes they provide care in the home. Sometimes they share their advice to vast and growing audiences on social media. In all cases, there is no requirement for them to have any medical training or qualifications to justify their title. In addition, there is also no legal accountability for advice provided and no recognised standard for support provided.