Cheshire and Merseyside Baby Week

Six days of activities to boost the health of mums and babies are taking place this week, 16-22 November, with the support of the Innovation Agency.

Cheshire and Merseyside Baby Week 2020 will explore inequalities which mean that many children in the region are disadvantaged in their health and life expectancy. Evidence shows that young babies born in the most deprived areas are twice as likely to die as those in the least deprived areas.

Baby Week events with academics, health professionals, families and others involved in women and children’s wellbeing will showcase some of the projects which are making a difference to maternal and child health.

A new publication being launched during the week contains a wealth of evidence and summary of impactful work, the National Women and Children’s Creative Health Handbook: Wellbeing by Design.

Catherine McClennan, Director of the Cheshire and Merseyside Women and Children’s Services Partnership, ‘Improving Me’, said: “Too many children do not have the best start in life, but this can be changed with positive early experiences. Covid 19 has underlined just how much disadvantage is impacting on the most vulnerable in our society and it is making things worse. We need to act together to stop this now. Baby Week is not just highlighting positive action, it is a call to arms.”

Webinars and workshops take place throughout the week, with topics including ‘Why respiratory inequalities happen before birth’; ‘Exploring links between breast feeding and mental health’; ‘Health literacy, engaging citizens for good’; ‘Booze and babies’; ‘Dads matter’; an interactive live music session for all the family; and ‘Let’s build a creative and empathetic world together’ including guests from Carnegie Hall’s Lullaby project. 

There are also taster sessions in baby massage and hypnobirthing.

View all events at improvingme.org.uk

▶   Hear the podcast by the Innovation Agency about plans to bring Carnegie Hall’s Lullaby project to the North West; and from Live Music Now who train and support musicians working in health and community settings.