Experts frown on NBC’s “Baby Borrowers”
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The new NBC reality show ‘The Baby Borrowers’ aims to give teen-age couples a close-up look at the realities of parenting. A couple cares for a stranger’s children, from babies to toddlers, over the course of three weeks, on camera. However instructive it might be for the teens to learn about potty training, some child health experts say the show should be canned because of the harm it may do.
The national advocacy group for young children, Zero to Three, released a statement recently saying that the show could endanger the borrowed babies, who must live with strangers -- and perhaps incompetent ones at that -- for several days. ‘ ‘Baby Borrowers’ may have a catchy theme, but it exploits young children with potential harmful consequences,’ says a statement from Zero to Three. ‘This is no social experiment. It is an extremely misguided endeavor that puts at risk our most vulnerable citizens, young children who need our love and protection.’
Today, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry weighed in with a statement saying the show could cause the babies distress and anxiety. Moreover, the group says, the baby borrowing concept may be copied by others. But without the protection provided by TV cameras and on-site nannies, teen-age caretakers and strangers may be more likely to abuse or neglect infants. ‘A child’s sense of security should not be gambled with,’ says AACAP President Robert Hendren.
NBC responded that the borrowed babies are well-cared for. They must be six months old and undergo psychological evaluation to make sure they do not have intense separation anxiety. The baby’s real parents live next-door, can watch on closed-circuit TV and can visit at any time, says an NBC spokesperson. A nanny is also on the premises.
‘The producers of ‘The Baby Borrowers’ took all the necessary precautions to ensure the safety and welfare of the children participating in the series,’ NBC said in a statement. ‘The environment was carefully controlled, and the children were properly care for at all times.’
Seems to me the borrowed babies probably are safe and well-cared for. But this social experiment doesn’t reflect the reality of teen parenting, either. Real teen parenting isn’t nearly so entertaining.
-- Shari Roan
Photo: Courtesy of NBC