Six in 10 parents admitted to experiencing failure as a parent during their child’s first year, according to a worldwide poll of 13,064 adults commissioned by WaterWipes, a US-based baby products company. The survey highlighted that adapting to sleepless nights, battling tiredness and struggling with infant feeding schedules makes many new parents believe they are simply “not good enough”.

“The global research speaks for itself. At times, parents are left feeling like they are failing, especially when they are surrounded by false images of perfect parenting — with the UK one of the most likely countries to experience this,” says Cathy Kidd, global vice president, marketing at WaterWipes, adding that Britain is the country with the second-most anxious parents (after Australia and New Zealand).