A U-TURN on guidance for baby classes has been welcomed as a "huge victory" for campaigning parents.

But experts warned the change does not go far enough to protect young children's health and development.

Nicola Sturgeon yesterday announced that parents and baby classes could now admit 10 adults - doubling from five.

The move came after outrage from parents who called on the Scottish Government to reverse a recent decision to restrict attendance at classes.

Restrictions meant some groups were at threat of closure due to having to cut class sizes while it also meant children missing out on activities.

Monica Lennon, Scottish Labour's Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, has been championing the issue.

She said: “This is a huge victory for parent campaigners, who have finally had their voice heard by Nicola Sturgeon after days of uncertainty and hopelessness.

"A change to the guidance was necessary to ensure the viability of the baby classes.

"This is a positive development, and the Scottish Government must now work with parents and providers to support toddler classes too.

"We need to get it right for every child.

"Congratulations are due to the army of parents who campaigned for this change.

"I am writing to the First Minister to ask her to address the concerns of parents of children over 12 months old and to ensure class providers are treated fairly."

But Suzanne Scott, a former paediatric nurse, now runs mother and baby classes with her business Baby 'n' You.

She told the Glasgow Times in August how confusion around pre-school classes was affecting her business and creating a potential maternal health crisis.

While Suzanne, who runs classes for children aged birth to three years, welcomed the increase in the size of classes for children aged up to 12 months, she said the Scottish Government has not gone far enough.

She said: "This is a real win for baby classes but for toddler classes it's a real kick in the teeth.

"Since the classes returned I have noticed it's the babies who are over a year who previously went to classes who have struggled most with this.

"They are like little koalas stuck to their parents and it has been really quite sad to see them.

"In some of the groups the babies have been crawling towards one another and staring like, 'Are you real?' because they have never seen another child the same age.

"It's really unfair because we know how vital the birth to age three years are for brain development.

"For babies and toddlers who don't go to nursery classes are their only chance to socialise and we won't know what damage this is doing - and it will do damage - for some time to come."

Suzanne said she believes the guidance should be changed to be specific to the size of venues, rather than a blanket instruction for organisers.

And she would welcome regulation in the sector to ensure groups are complying with guidance.

Suzanne added: "We are an unregulated sector so there could be a body in charge of ensuring compliance - no one would mind that.

"And attendance at classes should depend on how many safely fit in a venue - we don't have a cap on the number of people who can attend restaurants, for example."

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “We understand the vital importance of parent and baby groups, especially for supporting mental health and wellbeing in the early months after having a baby.

"That is particularly important just now, as we know the pandemic has the potential to increase stress and anxiety for new mothers.

"We are also, however, trying to keep an extremely infectious virus from spreading and protect the health of families and the wider community.

"I hope that this updated guidance will help us to strike the correct balance.

"No one wants restrictions in place a moment longer than needed, but until then we are all having to accept circumstances that we would not normally ever want to.”