FOUR in 10 parents said they struggled to afford essentials for their newborns in the first six months, according to a study published yesterday.

Nearly half (49 per cent) of respondents to the survey by children’s charity Barnardo’s said their child missed out on opportunities to play or learn because of rising costs.

On top of the 44 per cent who reported being unable to afford essential items such as clothes, thermometers, changing mats, books and advice leaflets, most respondents (54 per cent) said they wished they could have purchased more of these items in general. 

A further 44 per cent of parents claimed financial pressures have affected their child’s ability to develop certain skills, such as “speech, socialising or physical play.”

Of the 2,000 parents with children aged under five who answered the survey, 43 per cent said their child was starting school at a disadvantage due to high costs.