Small Wonders

More than one in ten babies in the UK is born prematurely or sick.

Some parents feel disempowered and withdraw from their babies. This can mean that preterm or sick babies are deprived of the regular physical touch of their parents or their mother’s breast milk.

We want to make sure all parents of premature or sick babies are aware of the benefits of skin-to-skin contact and breastfeeding, and that health professionals support them to do these things.

Our Small Wonders DVD will encourage parents to take an active role in their baby’s care, which is incredibly valuable at the crucial time just after birth.

Small Wonders will show parents how to care for their baby when it has been born under difficult or unusual circumstances. It is the first DVD of its kind and follows real parents’ experiences of having a sick or premature baby.

The DVD will give a realistic portrayal of how parents can interact with their babies, including breastfeeding, skin-to-skin contact and “positive touch”. All of these have been demonstrated to improve the health of premature and sick babies.

The DVD also helps healthcare professionals understand how to better care for premature and sick babies. Click here for more information on the evidence behind Small Wonders.

Small Wonders is expected to be released in 2011.