Magazine bag holds information trail for Highland parents

Magazine bag holds information trail for Highland parents.

Highland parents are to receive a free and handy magazine bag to help them store health information that is given to them throughout pregnancy and until their child is 5 years old.

The Highland Council and partners NHS Highland, Everything Baby Highland, and Highland Real Nappy Project introduced the new “Mag-Bag” today (21 May 2014) to members of the Council’s Education, Children and Adult Services Committee.

Children’s Champion, Highland Councillor Linda Munro welcomed the introduction of the new Mag-Bag service, she said “For most parents every child is different and it is important that when they need information on aspects of their child’s health and well-being that they have it ready to hand. These Mag-Bags will be a handy resource for parents to keep safe all the information that is presented to them during their child’s early years.

“I am also delighted that the information produced for parents by Highland Council and NHS Highland – called ‘Highland Information Trail’ that will be stored in the Mag-Bags has been adopted by NHS Health Scotland as a national resource.”

At Highland Council’s headquarters in Inverness today – expectant mother, Ashley Cuthbert of Inverness was the first person to receive a Mag-Bag, which was presented to her by NHS Highland Community Midwife, Effie Rowan who works in Nairn.

Sandra Harrington, Highland Council’s Midwifery Development Officer explained the development of the Mag-Bag project: “Much of the work of midwives and health visitors is based around health improvement, health promotion, screening and surveillance and involves conveying vast amount of information to parents that cannot always be achieved in allotted clinic or contact time. Parents are therefore given information to take away with them. 

“The information that is provided by the Council and NHS Highland is structured into what is called “The Highland Information Trail”. We are introducing the Mag-Bag to help parents store the “Trail” information that they receive.”

The Mag Bag will be gifted to all pregnant women across Highland at their booking appointment with midwives. The bag design has key messages which aim to promote the importance of early positive relationships with babies and children even before birth. These keys messages are part of a pilot project called “Before Words” that is currently taking place in Highland which aims to encourage attachment between mother and child. At first scan appointments, the key messages are discussed to encourage parents to speak to their babies from pregnancy onwards.

The key messages on the Mag-Bag design state: 

• ‘Talk to me before I am born – I can already hear you’;
• ‘Make your talking tuneful and I will listen’;
• ‘Pause and wait – I need time to talk back’;
• ‘Hold me and talk to me – it makes me feel safe’; and
• ‘I need quiet time every day’.

Karen Mackay, Infant Feeding Advisor for NHS Highland, said: "The mag bag is such a great resource. Women get so much information and the mag bag is an ideal place to keep it all - especially when it endorses special messages to help communication with babies both before and after birth."

Katy Kitchingham, Founder - Everything Baby said: “Everything Baby is delighted to have been able to work in partnership with The Highland Council and NHS Highland on this new service. As a charity, one of our key aims is to help families in the early years. This lovely bag is a great way of making sure every expectant parent has access to high quality and useful information. By including our own promotional material in the bag, we are really pleased parents across the Highlands will be able to find out more about our services such as our pre-loved baby goods shop and Carbon Clever parenting workshops.”

For further information please contact:

Sandra Harrington, Midwifery Development Officer, Old School, High Street, Clachnaharry, Inverness, IV3 8RB

Tel: 01463 711176 Mob: 07741 036118 sandra.harrington@highland.gov.uk

www.forhighlandschildren.org