Published on: 11 March 2022
Sunderland’s maternity unit is the first in the region to take delivery of new care boxes aimed at supporting new mums who have given birth to babies with Down’s Syndrome and their families.
The boxes were donated to the unit by Down’s Syndrome North East (DSNE) to give new parents/carers information about the genetic condition and what to expect in the early months and years.
The boxes contain lots of information to help parents/carers understand what to expect and answer any questions and concerns they may have.
There are also contact details for support groups, including the details of Positive About Down’s Syndrome (PADS), as well as gifts of clothes, toys and books for the baby.
The link between the unit and the charities was formed after the Trust’s Antenatal Services Manager, Amanda Bargh, met Caroline Turner from Down’s Syndrome North East.
Caroline Turner and Amanda Bargh with one of the boxes gifted to the maternity unit.
This was through the local Maternity Voices Partnership, a group set up by local mums to work with maternity services and commissioners in South Tyneside and Sunderland to help improve services.
Caroline, who is mum to Leo, five, from Stockton, visited Sunderland Royal to drop off the boxes.
She was joined by Sue Hodgson, from Sunderland, who has a 27-year-old daughter called Sophie.
Both Leo and Sophie were born with Down’s Syndrome and are also involved in the charity.
Caroline 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 and not just left to find it out themselves.
"We’ve handed out a few boxes so far and left some in the unit so they are available when needed.
"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 so families can just concentrate on enjoying spending time with their new baby and forming those close bonds.
“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.
"Having information about local support groups also gives parents the opportunity to meet other families and share experiences.”
Caroline Turner and Sue Hodgson visited Sunderland Royal Hospital in support of the project.
Down Syndrome North East was set up in 2003 to support people with Down’s Syndrome and their families and friends.
It is run entirely by volunteers and covers Wearside, Tyneside, Northumberland, County Durham and Teesside.
The charity launch the boxes last year to give parents information about the support available across the region at the earliest opportunity.
World Down Syndrome Day will be marked on Monday, March 21.
More details about the work of DSNE can be found via its Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/www.dsne.org.uk/ while the details of PADS are available through https://positiveaboutdownsyndrome.co.uk/
Information about the maternity services offered by the Trust are available at https://www.stsft.nhs.uk/services/maternity.
