Ethics are questioned after deluge of complaints

HEALTH professionals have accused broadcasting regulators of failing to take enough action to protect the welfare of young children who participate in reality television shows.

Programmes such as Channel 4's Bringing up Baby, which sparked hundreds of complaints over some of the parenting techniques shown, have led to calls for stricter controls.

While industry regulator Ofcom has introduced new guidance for programme makers, community health representatives claim this has only amounted to a "quiet chorus of hand-wringing" in response to the outcry.

Next month a major meeting involving bodies such as the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, the NSPCC and the Family and Parenting Institute will be held to discuss ways to ensure that programmes on parenting are responsible, In a commentary published in last week's Community Practitioners' and Health Visitors' Association (CPHVA) journal, communications officer Shaun Noble noted: "Something must be done' goes the cry, only to be met with a quiet chorus of handwringing from regulators and others with influence in this field."

He said the regulator had taken action by banning junk food adverts during children's programmes, but added there was concern that the Ofcom guidance did not go far enough.

"It is only the threat of legal sanctions that will make the TV companies take note - they are not philanthropists and it is ratings that are paramount to them," Noble said.

Bringing Up Baby provoked a storm of controversy over celebrity nanny Claire Verity advocating techniques such as leaving babies to cry and leaving them outside "to air". It was revealed she failed to produce evidence she was qualified.

Ofcom received 752 complaints, some of which accused Verity of child cruelty. The regulator concluded Channel 4 had been wrong to imply she had professional qualifications - although it found no evidence that due care had not been taken over the welfare of the children involved or that they were caused unnecessary stress or anxiety.

Gavin Fergie, CPHVA's professional organiser for Scotland, described the show as a "low point".

"It is the ethics behind using infants and children who can't give their consent to something like this," he said. "We are just trying to put in place something more rigid to ensure that children aren't being exploited."

According to a survey carried out by the Family and Parenting Institute, eight out of 10 parents said they had found tips from parenting programmes helpful. Spokeswoman Sally Gimson said this showed how influential TV shows were.

"Some programmes that are made about parents and the difficulties they face are very good indeed," she said. "But programme makers push it to the extreme and what we are saying is you have got to be responsible."

Earlier this month children's charity the NSPCC announced it was setting up a group of experts to advise TV production companies, as it believed the Ofcom guidance did not go far enough.

A spokeswoman for Ofcom insisted there were clear rules to ensure under-18s were fully protected. She said: "The rules are set out in the Ofcom Broadcasting Code and broadcasters are required under the terms of their licence to comply with the code."