Here are some photos of the Princess of Wales today in Nuneaton, where she’s visiting a family drop-in clinic and posing with various babies. I have to admit, I actually love her outfit today? She’s wearing a new £450 dress from Cefinn. I love an animal print, and this leopard-print in green and white is really good. This is the first time Kate has stepped out an event in over a week, and it’s first public appearance since the Mail and the Times did their exclusive reporting on the scope of her mother Carole Middleton’s financial scams and bankruptcy.

Meanwhile, Kate’s visit to Nuneaton was packaged with the news about the Royal Foundation spending some of their funds to monitor babies. The Royal Foundation is using £50,000 to commission a trial study about babies and their happiness.

The Princess of Wales has commissioned her first NHS scientific study, designed to support the emotional development of babies. The Royal Foundation is funding the £50,000 trial, which was inspired by an official visit to Denmark. It will evaluate a special tool used by health visitors at the regular six to eight-week check to identify babies at risk as well as showing parents how to communicate with their babies.

The Princess saw the system, called the Alarm Distress Baby Scale (ADBB), in action during an official visit to Copenhagen last February and was so impressed that she began exploring whether it could be introduced in this country. The pilot scheme will run until December at South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust and Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust, each of which was chosen because it has high volumes of face-to-face health visitor appointments and provides a variety of health visitor services.

The study, run in partnership with the Institute of Health Visiting (IHV) and the University of Oxford, is the first to be commissioned by the Royal Foundation’s Centre for Early Childhood.

It is considered a major step in the Princess’s lifelong commitment to improve the lives of young children and those who care for them. If successful, it is hoped that the trial will lead to a bigger study before the potential rollout of the tool to any NHS trust that wanted to use it.

[From The Telegraph]

So instead of spending money to improve the lives of parents and babies, Kate will spend foundation money to STUDY the happiness levels of babies? I’m sure there’s more to it – at least I hope there is – but as with all things Early Years, I can’t help but think of all of the time, money and resources which are being wasted on Kate’s endless need for busywork.

That Bump-It wiglet just slapped on the back of her head, my God. And I’ve had a closer look at this dress… that puffy shoulder is so unnecessary.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.