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News

POOLE BACKS NSPCC PROTECTING BABIES CAMPAIGN

A new NSPCC campaign to protect babies is receiving the full backing of child protection services in Poole.

As part of the NSPCC’s FULL STOP campaign, ‘Protecting Babies’ supports parents under stress, focusing on the emotions that they can experience and where they might get help.

The campaign with its series of hard hitting TV adverts is being supported by Poole Area Child Protection Committee (ACPC), which is responsible for planning, monitoring and developing child protection services within Poole.

Liz Trehane , Clinical Advisor, Child Protection, Dorset Healthcare NHS Trust said: "Most babies receive plenty of love and are well looked after but some parents have to cope with sleepless nights and persistent crying. We want to reach those parents before the pressure gets too much and let them know they are not alone and that there is help available. If they feel like they have been pushed to the limit, it is vital they should ask for help as quickly as possible, either from their Health Visitor or GP."

Julie Murphy, Borough of Poole’s Principal Officer, Policy, Planning & Protection, said: "We welcome the new campaign and hope it will have an impact on encouraging parents to come forward for advice and support when they need it . By making sure parents know there is help available we can help to reduce the risk for potential harm to babies in the local community."

In Poole, parents can get help and support from their Health Visitor, GP, Post Natal Support Groups, Church groups and National Childbirth Trust. For more information, parents should ring their health visitor or G.P. surgery.

The NSPCC will be distributing one million leaflets to advise parents on how to protect their babies through magazines, doctors’ surgeries and the Early Learning Centre shops. This year 600,000 new parents will also receive free copies of Get Ready! and Baby’s First Year to prepare parents for the birth of their baby and help them through the first year of life.

-ends-

Note to editors:

Poole Area Child Protection Committee includes representatives from the Health, Education, Social Services, Police and Probation Services and voluntary organisations such as the NSPCC and The Children’s Society.

NSPCC figures show that:
· Infants under 12 months are four times more likely to be homicide victims than the rest of the population, with at least one being killed every fortnight.
· Babies are two and a half times more likely to be put on child protection registers than other children, with more than 4,000 added each year, of whom 41 per cent are registered for physical abuse.
· The most common baby injuries diagnosed at hospital emergency units include convulsions and serious head injuries. In a new survey, 92 infants in the UK and Ireland suffered serious brain injuries caused by shaking and impact during a 12 month period.
· One survey found that three quarters of parents smack their babies in the first year of life - mostly as a result of irritation or anger.

For more information, please contact:

Julie Murphy, Principal Officer Policy, Planning and Protection, Children & Families, Borough of Poole, tel: 01202 264747

Liz Trehane - Clinical Advisor, Child Protection, Dorset Healthcare NHS Trust, tel: 01202 443151

Julie Murphy, Principal Officer Policy, Planning and Protection, tel: 01202 264747