Letter: Parental duty

It IS so sad to read that so many Scottish children live in such harmful conditions, where parenting has virtually broken down.

Nowhere, however, in this report (3 March) did I read any suggestion that as a key component of responsible parenting, avoidance of unplanned pregnancies by use of contraception should be promoted. Despite the fact that in the UK contraception is available to women for free, 40 per cent of conceptions are unplanned, and about 30 per cent actually unwanted.

Unwanted births are more likely to result in poor bonding between child and parent(s), and because of extra strain on the parent(s) also likely to have adverse effects on other children in the same household. Of course there are other factors, too, such as increasing poverty, but Scotland is letting its people down by failing to promote this message. Prevention is better than cure - and cheaper by far.

Penelope McKee

Fernielaw Avenue

Edinburgh

Whether or not one agrees with Alistair McBay (Letters, 4 March) or with Michael Kelly (Perspective, 3 March) on the suitability of Eunice and Owen Johns to continue fostering children in Derby, as they have done successfully for several years to the immense benefit of dozens of troubled children under ten (and I'm in the latter group), it was certainly ironic that the article appeared on the same day as your report of Professor Susan Deacon's study on the "cycle of poor parenting" with many children living in families where "parenting practice has fundamentally broken down", which highlighted a "raft of problems which harms their future chances" and "vetting checks which put adults off volunteering with youngsters".

It is also interesting that of the top 20 tips and "do's and dont's" listed by Sue Palmer, a child development specialist, none made any mention of sexuality at all.

John Birkett

Horseleys Park

St Andrews