Royal becomes the first in the region to provide safer sleep Baby Boxes
The Chesterfield Royal Hospital has become the first hospital in the region to offer new Mums ‘ Baby Boxes ’ for their newborn baby to aid safer sleep.
Baby Boxes are part of an educational package for new mums with the sole aim of encouraging safer sleeping. It provides the baby with a safe place to sleep, a secure mattress and comes with a waterproof mattress cover, a pack of baby grows and nappies to give babies a safe start in life. It is handed to new Mums as soon as they can show that they have completed the online training.
Margaret Dennett is a Midwife at the Royal and has been leading on bringing the scheme to the Royal, she said:-
“This initiative was introduced in Finland 75 years ago and the mortality rate amongst babies fell from 65 per thousand babies to less than three which is incredible. It’s such a simple concept aimed at teaching parents to provide a safe place for their baby to sleep.
“Once the parents leave the hospital with their new baby we can’t monitor them, we can only advise but with the Baby Box we can give each baby an equal start. We can’t know where a Moses Basket or mattress has come from, it could have been passed down from one child to another and not as clean as it should be. These boxes are easy to clean and disinfect, we know that the mattress is of a safe standard and we can be certain that we’re sending new parents and baby home with everything they need for a safe night’s sleep from the very first occasion.”
The Baby Boxes are a very recent addition to the UK and only a handful of Trusts in the country have so far taken up the concept. Cards explaining more about the boxes, what they are for and how to access the training will be handed out to ladies by midwives at 16 weeks. The training is straightforward and involves a number of educational videos followed by a short quiz; a certificate of completion can be printed off, handed to the Birth Centre and a Baby Box will be provided when they’re ready to go home with the new baby.
Margaret added:-
“I first saw this at a Royal College of Midwifery conference and was impressed by its simplicity and what it has achieved in Europe in terms of reducing mortality rates in young babies. I brought it back to show our Head of Midwifery and she agreed that we needed to look into it. We both love the idea and what it stands for and are delighted to be able to offer it to our new mums.
“It provides parents with a resource to look back on, the training pack can be accessed whenever they need it, and also peace of mind. We’re delighted to be a part of this and offer further support to parents to help keep their babies safe.”
