Down’s charity boxes clever to help support new mums
The maternity unit at Sunderland Royal Hospital has become the first in the region to offer care boxes aimed at supporting new mums who have given birth to babies with Down’s Syndrome.
The boxes were donated to the unit by Down’s Syndrome North East (DSNE) to give new parents information about the genetic condition and what to expect in the early months and years.
The boxes also contain contact details for support groups – including Positive About Down’s Syndrome (PADS) – as well as gifts of clothes, toys and books for the baby.
The support scheme follows the Trust’s antenatal services manager, Amanda Bargh, meeting DSNE’s Caroline Turner through the local
Maternity Voices Partnership, a group set up by local mums to work with maternity services in the area.
Caroline, who is mum to
Leo, five, said: “Support for families of children with Down’s Syndrome is not always readily available in hospitals.
"We wanted to improve the experience for parents and wider family members so they were equipped with the right information and support from the start.
“We’ve handed out a few boxes so far and left some in the unit so they are available when needed."
She added: “We’ve included a few special items for the new babies and lots of information so families know we are here to help and are certainly not alone.”
Amanda added: “Having a baby is always a very special time for families and we have always been very keen to support new parents in any way we can.
“Babies with Down’s Syndrome often have a number of additional needs and understandably parents can have lots of questions and initial worries.
"It was really important for us to be able to have that information and support right from the start.
“We are so grateful to the charity for providing us with the boxes, a great deal of thought has been put into them and I am sure that they will be very much appreciated by local families.”
For details about DSNE go to its Facebook page https:// www.facebook.com/www. dsne.org.uk/
For more details about the work of PADS, go to https://positiveaboutdownsyndrome.co.uk/