Food Standards Agency (FSA) reminds parents of advice on making up infant formula (25th February 2010)The Agency is reminding parents and childcarers who use powdered infant formula to use hot water to make up a feed. Formula powder isn’t sterile, so occasionally it could contain harmful bacteria, which could make babies ill. Using water that is 70°C, or higher, will kill any harmful bacteria in the powder.
Recent research funded by the Agency has confirmed the importance of using hot water to make up powdered formula. But some parents aren’t aware of this advice and may use cold water, or boiled water that has been cooled for longer than half an hour.
Information
The Family Nurse Partnership Programme (3rd December 2009)This letter from Ann Keen and Dawn Primarolo informs about the Family Nurse Partnership (FNP) Programme. FNP is an evidence-based, preventive programme for vulnerable first-time young parents, delivered from early pregnancy until the child is two. Extensive evidence points to short and long term benefits for children and parents.
Information Birth and beyond: stakeholder perceptions of current antenatal education provision in England (8th December 2009)This research examined stakeholder perspectives about current NHS ante-natal education across ten strategic health authorities in England. The views expressed in this report are the authors' and do not necessarily reflect those of the Department of Health.
Report Birth and beyond: a review of the evidence about antenatal education (8th December 2009)The aim of this study was to synthesise published evidence concerning the cost and effectiveness of antenatal education, alongside evidence about stakeholder perspectives.
Report Getting Maternity Services right for pregnant teenagers and young fathers - 2nd edition (November 2009)This guide is aimed at practitioners working in mainstream services or areas where the prevalence of teenage pregnancy is relatively low and where there are no dedicated services for pregnant teenagers. It sets out the reasons why it is important to improve the maternity service offered to young parents, and offers practical guidance on working with pregnant teenagers and young fathers.
This guide, originally produced in 2008, has been revised following feedback from midwives and other maternity workers saying that they would welcome more guidance on ways of effectively engaging with young mothers. The content has been revised with the close involvement of the Fatherhood Institute and offers practical guidance on working with pregnant teenagers, young mothers and young fathers.
Guide
Barnsley's Community Parents (2nd December 2009)After an assessment showed that parents with young families suffered from social isolation, depression and anxiety about parenthood, the Community Parents programme was developed. Funded by Communities for Health, it essentially involved training volunteer local parents – also known as Community Parents – to help other local parents. It was piloted in Darfield successfully and is administered by Barnsley Primary Care Trust (PCT).
Information
Nurse-Family Partnership Programme - Second Year Pilot Sites Implementation in England: The Infancy Period (23rd September 2009)Young first time mothers are being helped to improve the life chances of their babies and fathers are more involved in the early years of their children’s lives thanks to the Family Nurse Partnership (FNP) programme, independent research published today has found.The second year evaluation report of the FNP programme by University of London, Birkeck, which is joint between the Department for Children, Schools and Families and the Department of Health, found that:- Effective delivery is having a positive impact on some of the most vulnerable young families in society;
- There are early signs that the programme is having a positive effect on reducing smoking during pregnancy and increasing rates of breastfeeding;
- Mothers value the programme and believe it has made a positive difference to how they care for their baby and their own aspirations for the future;
- Fathers’ involvement is especially high with more than half of fathers present for at least one pregnancy visit;
- A strong nurse-client relationship is key to its success – and clients are overwhelmingly positive about their family nurses, rating them on average 9 out of 10; and
- Nurses have reported that their clients are more confident as parents, were playing with their children more, wanted to learn, and had aspirations for the future.
Press ReleaseReport
Launch of website for teen parents (28th September 2009)A new social networking site for teen parents has been launched. The site has been created by the Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths.
The site, Bubbalicious, was developed after consulting with young parents across the country. Users can chat, win prizes, upload pictures and take part in a four level baby care challenge.
Website
Assessments of parenting and parenting support need (12th August 2009)This study looks at how a range of health, education and family practitioners make their assessments of parenting and parenting support need. It also considers if and how these ideas were affected by factors such as practitioners' own experience of being a parent, relationships with their own parents, their ethnicity, social class, disability, and gender and that of the families they are working with. The project draws on 54 qualitative interviews with practitioners from four professional groups.
The study explores:
- the process for assessing parenting and parenting support need
- views on the nature of 'good', 'good enough' and 'risky' parenting
- the role played by practitioner and family diversity, reflection and training in this area.
Report
Free online service helps first-time parents (10th August 2009)A new interactive website to help parents and carers keep their babies healthy, happy and safe is being rolled out nationally today by the Department of Health. NHS Baby LifeCheck is designed to provide information and advice to mums, dads and carers of babies aged five to eight months.
Information
Health-led Interventions in Pregnancy and Early Years (30th October 2008)
This report identifies the most effective and cost-effective health-led parenting support services and programmes in pregnancy and the first three years of life from published research to contribute to the development of the Child Health Promotion Programme.
Report
Joint birth registration: recording responsibility (2nd June 2008)
This White Paper from the Department for Children, Schools and Families and the Department for Work and Pensions, urges that wherever possible both parents are named on a child’s birth certificate. The measures will continue to protect vulnerable women and children, but will allow mothers to ensure that a father acknowledges their responsibility to their offspring. Equally, they will ensure unmarried fathers will get the right to have a say in their child's life.
Click here for the White Paper
Click here for theImpact Assessment
New Resource - especially for Dads’ (1st May 2008)
Hundreds of NHS hospitals, the British Armed Forces, major employers and local authorities are delivering the world’s first dedicated dads’ information service, launched today (Thursday 1st May 2008). The new service, which is free to the NHS, is a response to increasing involvement of fathers in children’s lives and their demand for reliable and accessible information on health and other issues.
Click here for the Website
