Worcestershire Royal to give new mums iPads to help with bonding

New mums who are separated from their newborns after birth at Worcestershire Royal Hospital are to be given iPads to help them bond with their child.

The neonatal department at the hospital is giving the Apple tablets to parents to make sure they don’t miss out on important first moments with their baby.

There are currently two iPads available within the department – funded by Herefordshire and Worcestershire Local Maternity and Neonatal System (LMNS) – and when a mum is unable to visit her baby, a cart is taken to her bedside where she can watch them via video link and talk with staff to receive important updates on the baby’s progress.

Sharon Ali, neonatal sister, said: “This is a brilliant idea for those mums who may be separated from their baby.”

“The first mum to use the iPad was in tears when she could see her baby. It was very emotional; the staff were all overwhelmed with the reaction.”

“It is a privilege to see that bond developing and we are so grateful to the donation from the LMNS.”

Technology available to new and expectant mums appears to be on the rise. In October 2019, it was announced that a pregnancy app designed by a team from Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust was to be adopted across the NHS.

The Mum & Baby app was created by Sunita Sharma, consultant obstetrician at Chelsea and Westminster, and co-designed with mothers and partners, midwives, doctors, health visitors, mental health specialists, physiotherapists and infant feeding leads from across North West London.

Originally developed alongside Chelsea and Westminster charity CW+ with specialist healthcare app developers Imagineear, the app has evolved in partnership with the North West London Local Maternity System and is now in its fourth version.

It is now being adopted by other local maternity systems across England, including the Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West Integrated Care System (BOB ICS).