Walsall Council marks Infant Mental Health Awareness Week 2024

Infant Mental Health Awareness Week raises awareness and encourages discussion of the importance of babies’ emotional wellbeing and social development.  

The first 1,001 days, from conception to age two, are crucial for a baby’s brain development. Positive experiences and nurturing relationships during this period lay the foundation for a child’s lifelong mental health.  

The council’s Public Health team commissions the Health in Pregnancy Service, which is a support service, at Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust, which offers a range of support to ensure all babies in Walsall have the best start in life.  

The Health in Pregnancy service supports pregnant women and their families from their 12-week scan. Support can be accessed up until 6 months post-delivery which includes advice and support linked with emotional wellbeing, safe sleeping, foetal movement, quitting smoking and infant feeding.  

Parents with infants can also access the Health Visiting service, supporting parents from pregnancy through to when a child starts school with emotional and physical development, as well as family health, minor illness, feeding, healthy eating, dental health and other specialist advice.  

Parents and carers can also access further information and support on bonding with their baby on the NHS Start for Life website. 

ENDS 

Notes to editor: 

• Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust’s health visitors support parents from pregnancy through to when a child starts in reception. Health visitors offer support with family health, minor illness, feeding, healthy eating, dental health, emotional and physical development, and some specialist advice on subjects such as postnatal depression. The service works closely with other professionals such as family support workers, nurseries and can make referrals to other specialists such as speech and language therapy. More information about the health visiting service in Walsall can be found here: https://www.walsallhealthcare.nhs.uk/our-services/health-visiting/. The service can also be contacted through the Single Point of Access on 01922 603074. 

• Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust’s Health in Pregnancy service (HiPs) supports pregnant women and their families from their 12-week scan. Support can be accessed up until 6 months post-delivery.  The HiPs service provides mums and dads with important information about safe sleeping, fetal movement, smoking cessation, infant feeding, and emotional wellbeing. The service offers weekly antenatal classes, and further information about the service and how to access it can be found here: https://www.walsallhealthcare.nhs.uk/our-services/maternity/health-in-pregnancy-service-hips/. Telephone contact number for the Health in Pregnancy Service: 01922 423252 

• Family Hubs are part of Walsall’s Children and Young People Strategic Alliance focusing on ‘The best start for life: a vision for the 1,001 critical days.’ Teams are co-located in four locality hubs across the borough, connecting practitioners with each other, with community resources and the families they work with to enable easier access to integrated services giving the right help at the right time.  Practitioners include Social Workers, Family Support Practitioners, Health Visitors, School Nurses, Early Help Police Officers, Domestic Abuse Support Practitioners, mental health support and substance misuse support. You can visit the Family Hub website at https://www.walsallfamilyhubs.co.uk/ 

• Walsall Families in the Know on Facebook is also used to promote the Family Hub offer and activities https://www.facebook.com/Walsallfamiliesintheknow/