UK’s premature/sick baby care needs to improve says three-decade strong Bliss charity

In the thirty years that special care baby charity Bliss has existed, it has repeatedly called for better services that care for premature and sick babies in the UK.

Every year, some 70,000 babies are born in need of specialist neonatal care in England alone. Added to this, the birth rate is increasing and more premature babies are surviving than ever, which puts additional pressure on overstretched services.

To celebrate thirty years and highlight the issues, Bliss has produced a special report — Three Decades and Counting — which documents the charity’s support and pushes for improvements to special care baby services.

Chief executive of Bliss, Andy Cole, said “We are delighted to be celebrating our thirtieth birthday with the publication of this special report, looking at how Bliss and the services for newborn babies we support have developed. After 30 years of fighting, 2009 should mark a significant change in the fortunes of premature and sick babies and the care they receive. Special care baby units have been stretched to the limits for far too long. We call on the Government and the NHS to ensure that the NHS Taskforce’s recommendations are now delivered without delay.”

Bliss

Bed sharing accounts for half of all cot deaths, study suggests

Over half of infant cot deaths are linked to babies sharing a bed with their parents, according to a new study by Bristol University.

However, other factors were also found to be linked and harmful, such as when a parent smokes, drinks alcohol or uses sedating drugs before bedtime.

Researchers suggest that further education is still required to reduce the risk of cot deaths, despite the success of the “Back to Sleep” campaign from the early ’90s.

“Parents need to be advised never to put themselves in a situation where they might fall asleep with a young infant on a sofa,” said researchers, adding that parents should never sleep with an infant in any environment after consuming alcohol or drugs.

Young single parents have been targeted as the most likely to ignore safe sleep advice, and for this reason the web site Bubbalicious.co.uk has been launched to provide support.

Via

French Connection launches first babywear clothing collection

Parents who want to dress their babies in fashionable clothing may be pleased to hear that French Connection has announced its first ever babywear clothing range.

There’s a range of all-in-one and full-length bodysuits, tops, bottoms and hats, made in soft jersey and available in five sizes (0-3 months, 3-6 months, 6-9 months, 9-12 months and 12-18 months).

Take a peek at the new collection here.

easidream: a revelation for Sleep Deprived Parents

Ask any new parent what the most difficult thing they have to overcome is, and the majority of them will say sleep deprivation.

easidream is a clinically tested baby sleep aid that helps to ease the transition from womb to world by gently mimicking rocking sensations that baby experienced whilst still in the womb. This ‘womb experience’ helps to trigger a calming reflex in baby so reducing crying time and inducing quality sleep.

During trials, the use of easidream saw babies settle down to sleep much quicker and average crying times were reduced from 18 minutes to less than one minute.

It can be used from birth in almost any cot and helps baby establish a healthy sleep pattern that will benefit the whole family. easidream is the brainchild of mum of six Lynda Harding who came up with the idea after struggling to get her youngest son (now 7) to settle down to sleep.

The development of easidream has been a long process but now she is about to see all of her hard work and determination come true.

“easidream is an independent and retro-fitted sleep aid that fits snugly into a normal cot,” explained Lynda. “It works by stimulating the rocking feeling of being cradled by placing a pneumatic pad underneath the cots mattress. It also encourages babies to fall asleep on their backs, which is proven to be the safest sleeping position for babies under six months old.

When you are sleep deprived yourself you are tempted adopt high-risk methods of encouraging your baby to sleep such as lying them ‘front down’ or letting them sleep on the sofa or in bed with you. If used from day one easidream will allow your baby to settle straight into a healthy sleep pattern and no one needs to get over tired.”

How does it work?

A slim line ventilated platform fits under your baby’s cot mattress. Air tubing links this to a control unit that operates the functions. The platform can either rock gently from head to toe or roll gently from side to side. There is a timer for up to 45 minutes and a choice of 2 speed settings, one in time with mum’s resting heartbeat and a slower speed setting that can be used for weaning off at a later stage. The platform is pneumatically powered so there are no worries about anything electrical being in the cot. In the early stages of your baby’s life easidream can even be used in a moses basket. You just place the platform on the floor and place the basket on top.

A plush ‘dream’ sheep called Ewan can be attached to the bars of the cot by his velcro tail (or sit him by the basket). Ewan has a choice of four soothing heartbeat sound combinations plus a warm glowing pink light. The light can be activated at the same time as the sound and both last around 20 minutes.

Working together, the platform and ewan provide soothing motion with calming sounds and glow and in a short time you can create the perfect combination to help your baby drift off into a long and peaceful sleep.

Trials were carried out using babies and parents from a Hampshire nursery by university researchers from the Brighton School of Nursing and Midwifery. The sleep diaries that the parents kept revealed to researchers that the average crying time reduced dramatically and the time taken for babies to settle dropped, in some cases by 90 per cent.

easidream has already been shortlisted as a finalist at the Baby Product Association Concept Awards.

The following people / companies were also instrumental in bring easidream to market.

Maddison Design Ltd, of Fittleworth, West Sussex
GBE Designs Ltd, of Goring, West Sussex
Maggie Stewart, from the University of Brighton’s School of Nursing and Midwifery.

Available from the end of this month, priced around £249 for the easidream system and £24 for Ewan the dream sheep.

ERGObaby introduces the Heart2Heart Infant Insert

ERGObaby has unveiled its newest product, the Infant Insert Heart2Heart, an innovative design with cushioning at the back and bottom to support the natural curvature of a baby’s developing spine.

The ERGObaby carrier, when used with the new Infant Insert Heart2Heart, enables parents to use only one carrier for all the years of a baby’s growth, and keeps parents close to their baby — all while being HandsFree.

ERGObaby USA, Inc. was created seven years ago when Karin Frost, owner and designer, needed a comfortable and supportive baby carrier for her own son. The ERGObaby carrier is now distributed all over the world and offers an entire line of products that supports babies and parents in a loving and attached way. In addition to the Infant Insert Heart2Heart, six new carriers are being introduced at the ABC Kids Show in Las Vegas, as well as several new accessories.

“We are so excited to bring these products to market for the benefit of new babies, and to support parents who want to carry their babies in a comfortable way,” said Karin Frost. “Our ultimate goal is to educate and promote baby carrying internationally.”

ERGObaby has worked hard to ensure that the design of the new ERGObaby Infant Insert Heart2Heart supports the development of newborn babies. ERGObaby has researched the available expert opinions and analyses regarding baby carrying and physical development of the newborn baby. Based on this research ERGObaby has designed the ERGObaby Infant Insert Heart2Heart to position the newborn baby in a way that experts agree is conducive to its proper development. And, as always, ERGObaby has taken into account the comfort of the parent or caregiver of the newborn baby.

ERGObaby has received numerous awards, including the iParenting Outstanding Product, Parenting Magazine’s Top 20 Products in 20 Years, JPMA Safe Product Award, and ShapeYou.com’s Top Gear and Great Gear of the Year. ERGObaby has also received numerous celebrity endorsements.

Costs just $25 and is available now. Product page

New bath and body range gets little Creatures clean naturally

Uses healing powers of African Rooibos

A new range of baby and toddler bath and body toiletries – Creatures – has been created using natural ingredients including remarkable Rooibos from South Africa. Rooibos (pronounced royboss) has been used for hundreds of years by the African “bush people” who realised its powerful healing properties when used in natural remedies.

The paediatrician-tested range combines Rooibos with other natural ingredients like camomile, lavender and aloe vera to create a gentle range of bath products that are PH balanced and hypo allergenic. It uses 100% natural fragrances and colours, and contains no parabens, petro-chemicals or sulphates, making it particularly good for children with sensitive skin, eczema or other skin conditions. None of the products are tested on animals.

The Creatures range features a sweet baby animal on each pack, with drawings by well-known children’s book illustrator John Butler. Each product also contains a different fun fact about the animals, which children will love, ensuring bath time is fun time.

With a beautiful baby elephant on pack, the range for babies is suitable for children aged one month to 14 months. The products are made primarily from Rooibos, aloe vera, lavender and camomile to cleanse, soothe and protect. The range includes:

• Creatures Baby’s Foam Wash (£9.50 for 420ml) – instant natural foam to lather up and gently cleanse away impurities
• Creatures Baby’s Shampoo (£8.50 for 300ml) – for a delicate hair wash that won’t cause tears or irritations; and
• Creatures Baby’s Balm Butter (£9.50 for 220ml) – enriched with Shea Butter, it’s perfect for massaging onto baby to soften, soothe and protect delicate skin.

The toddler range has been specially formulated for children aged 14 months to four years. Featuring an adorable baby giraffe or zebra on pack, the range includes:

• Creatures Toddler’s Body Foam Wash (£9.50 for 420ml) – for natural bathtime fun in a breath-easy formula as no synthetic bubble risers are used (it’s the clever pump that makes the bubbles);
• Creatures Toddler’s Shampoo (£8.50 for 300ml)– to gently cleanse and detangle the messiest toddler hair;
• Creatures Toddler’s Body Mousse (£9.50 for 220ml)– made with jojoba oil, this vitamin-rich, easily absorbed mousse protects skin year round from nasty dry patches; and
• Creatures Toddler’s Hand Wash (£9.50 for 420ml) – perfect for encouraging hand-washing after toilet visits but just as at home in the kitchen to clean up after finger painting.

All of the products are also available for purchase as gift sets in boxes featuring the animal illustrations. The sets include either all of the baby products or the toddler range and cost £35.

The products are available from www.theworldofcreatures.com and www.cuddledry.com.

Video: Breastfeeding — what you should know

Tips to help both you and baby get the most from it

Breastfeeding is natural and has benefits for both mums and babies. It should be easy and trouble-free, and a good start helps to ensure that is a happy experience.

To establish breastfeeding, the early days are crucial and when it comes to technique, you may need guidance from a midwife or breastfeeding counsellor. Also, there is a lot of information available from reliable sources like Bounty, the UK’s favourite parenting club.

In this close-up video clip, we offer guidance with latching-on and positioning tips for both you and baby as well as highlight the signs that help you know that all is going well to make that special time a happy one for you both.

Cuski Kids Pillow offers support and sleep-filled nights

Cuski has announced its first child-friendly orthopaedic pillow, designed to provide essential neck support for a growing child and thus promoting a healthy body and a good night’s sleep for everyone.

This pillow has been created especially to meet the needs of young children from ages 2 to 10 years old. It’s made from heat responsive viscos-elastic memory foam which has been anatomically designed to self-adjust to relieve pressure points, mould to accommodate growing shoulders, keep the spine correctly aligned, and reduce tossing and turning.

It costs £35 and is fully machine washable.

Cuski | Buy the Cuski Kids Orthopaedic Pillow from Amazon

UK’s independent midwives form new organisation

The former Independent Midwives Association, made up of individual Independent Midwives from throughout the UK, today announced the launch of their new organisation. The midwives have formalised as an Industrial and Provident Society to become Independent Midwives UK and have announced their official board members.

The patron of Independent Midwives UK is Baroness Julia Cumberlege, the untiring champion for maternity services who chaired the Expert Group producing the landmark “Changing Childbirth” report.

Independent Midwives UK press secretary, Virginia Howes, says, “We are at the beginning of a very exciting time. Two years ago Independent Midwifery, which has been around as long as babies have been being born, was facing extinction in a relatively short time. Since then with amazing public supported an awareness campaign and Government input we have turned a negative worry into a positive excitement and we may be about to make a real difference to the country’s maternity services.”

The Government’s response to the successful campaign, which drew awareness to the plight of the midwives, was to suggest the Independent Midwives contract their services into Primary Care Trusts. In order to do so the midwives had to become a formal organisation. Virginia, who also runs her own Independent Practice in Kent said, “We took the Government’s advice and started the processes they advised, now with their continued support our enthusiasm and our organisation is growing. Now it’s all falling into place, just like any baby growing and developing in the womb, Independent Midwives UK is ready to be born, to grow and become strong.”

In the autumn of 2006 Independent Midwives were informed that the Government intended to make professional indemnity insurance mandatory for all health care professionals. Independent Midwives are the only group unable to purchase insurance commercially and have been forced to practise without professional indemnity insurance (PII) since 2002 when the last available insurance product was withdrawn from the market. Insurance is unavailable due to the small number of Independent Midwives and the potential for very high claims which is simply because of the nature of midwives work around birth. This is despite there being no cases of significant awards against Independent Midwives in the UK since 1994. Independent Midwives have not wanted to practise without insurance, but have had no choice.

Babylolly.com: share baby’s life with friends and family online

Letting friends and family from around the globe keep up with the latest news, pictures and videos of new baby just got easier with the launch of BabyLolly.com.

Secure and easy-to-use, the service allows an online “baby book” to be created, that can include photographs, videos, baby journal, baby “firsts” and favourites, and the opportunity for friends and family to interact.

The free service ensures that only trusted contacts can have access to the book.

BabyLolly.com was founded by UK-based BabyLolly Ltd.

Gestures can improve early speech development, scientists find

Using signs and gestures with babies can enhance their communication skills and allow them to learn to talk more quickly, according to research by scientists at the University of Chicago.

The research confirms previous studies that show a strong link between gestures and spoken language, finding that babies who use gestures to communicate, at an early age, have large spoken vocabularies compared to their non-gesturing peers by the time they reach school age.

“Babies have so much to say- even before they can talk. Babies who sign, usually learn to speak much more quickly and more clearly than babies who don’t,” said Katie Mayne, founder of TinyTalk, an ex-primary school teacher and a mother of two. “Signs are like ‘pictures’ for babies, helping them to understand what is being said to them. The signs also help the children to express themselves much earlier too. Their communication attempts promote growing self-confidence and self-esteem which, in turn, leads to further communication! Importantly, through signing, children also make early attempts at speech.”

TinyTalk offers baby signing classes right across the UK and Ireland and is seeing a significant increase in demand. More and more families are seeking to experience the benefits of early communication with their little ones. Mayne explains, “Contrary to popular belief, sign language encourages spoken language rather than hindering it. Even tantrums are reduced! Signing babies are happy babies, able to understand and be understood, and happy babies mean happy carers! Families who attend our classes tell us that their babies and toddlers are little chatterboxes, full of things to say!”

TinyTalk.co.uk

New CD aims to boost confidence and understanding of breastfeeding to UK mums

We’ve already reported on the UK government’s initiative to encourage UK mums to breastfeed their babies, due to the low proportion of UK mums who start or stick with it for the minimum recommended 13 weeks (and ideally six months).

A new resource has come on to the market that might be helpful for some mums. The Breastfeeding Companion CD has been created by Natal Hypnotherapy and includes both practical guidance and relaxation and visualisation techniques to increase confidence and ability to breastfeed successfully.

Positive testimonials suggest that the techniques work. To promote the CD, Natal Hypnotherapy has also published ten top tips for successful breastfeeding:

1. Pick up on and respond to your baby’s cues to feed. Ignore the clock!

2. Accept that your baby’s need to breastfeed may not always be connected to being hungry – it may be for comfort, because they are tired or they simply want to have a snuggle.

3. Feed regularly during the night. Successful feeding is based on a healthy supply and demand cycle. If your baby does not feed for many hours your body does not get all the signals it needs to get ready for the next feed and so production decreases.

4. DO NOT expect your baby to be guzzling milk in the first few days. Babies do not need anything other than a tiny amount of colostrum (first milk) so do not need “topping” up.

5. Give yourself time to get to know your baby and to trust your baby’s needs.

6. Babies have growth spurts – sometimes they need more feeding than other times – that is OK and normal.

7. Trust! Trust your baby – no baby was ever born with a pre-planned desire to upset or annoy. They simply feel what they feel and alert you in the only way they know how. Trust your body – milk production has nothing
to do with the size of your breasts but is all to do with the cycle of suckling and milk production. If your baby suckles often and frequently, you will make the right amount of milk.

8. Look after yourself – drink loads of water and eat really well. It is one of the few times in your life that you can eat loads (of the right stuff!) and know that it is all good for your baby.

9. Enjoy this time – it is for such a short time. Even if you are tired and worn out, think of every feed as a blessing and one to be cherished and enjoyed.

10. Get help and support. Accept any offers from others to help with the daily cooking and chores! If you are having any difficulties or simply want to talk, contact your local breastfeeding advisors from La Leche League or the NCT.

The CD can be picked up from Amazon.co.uk or via NatalHypnotherapy.co.uk.

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