David Farnor | On 08, Feb 2020

Update: Part 2 premieres on Netflix UK on Friday 19th June.

Netflix has made rapid inroads into the nature documentary arena in recent years, with programmes such as Our Planet proving that it can rival the BBC for spectacle in science programming. Now, it’s entering the human science sphere with new series Babies.

Filmed over the course of three years, the series explores the miracle of the first full year of life through the pioneering work of leading scientists from across the globe. The series examines the epic journey every person embarks on, from helpless new-born to independent toddler. Following the life-changing adventures of 15 international families and featuring  the latest research from eminent scientists who share their personal journeys of discovery into the infant mind, the series is filled with the excitement and uncertainty of parenting. From the first bond a baby shares with its parents, to learning to feed, sleep through the night, crawl across the room, speak their first words, and discover the world around them – right up to those first steps of toddlerhood.

In the last 15 years, there has been an explosion in our understanding of the baby brain. For the first time scientists are discovering that even the youngest babies know more, see more and understand far more than we thought possible. Using the latest technology and scientific research, Babies delves deep inside the baby’s mind to watch the processes behind each exciting developmental step.

Among the scientists featured are Rebecca Spencer (UMASS, Amherst) and her ground-breaking study on the importance of naps for a baby’s learning, Michael Georgieff (University of Minnesota) and his hugely influential work linking iron and other micronutrients to babies’ ability to form memories, Professor Ruth Feldman (IDC, Herzliya, Israel) and her breakthrough discovery that the surge in oxytocin, the bonding hormone, that occurs in new mothers, can also take place in men, and Professor Susan Lynch (University of California, San Francisco), who found that babies living with dogs and cats are better protected from developing asthma and allergies.

Babies is a Nutopia Production for Netflix. Nutopia is a leading television production company with offices in the US and the UK, best known for creating the ’mega-doc’ – huge scale series designed to stand out from the crowd. Recent credits include The Last Czars for Netflix, One Strange Rock for National Geographic, Civilisations for the BBC and Emmy-winning series How We Got To Now for PBS and America The Story of Us for History. 

Babies premieres on Netflix on 21st February. Here’s the trailer:

 

Babies is available on Netflix UK, as part of an £9.99 monthly subscription.

 

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