New Book on Baby Feeding by NNUH Health Professionals

Health professionals who care for the tiniest of babies at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital's neo-natal intensive care unit have just published a book on feeding infants.

The book is designed for use by other health professionals such as family doctors, community nurses, midwives and health visitors. The book has been paid for by the Norfolk and Norwich Institute of Medical Education Charitable Trust.

The book tackles a full range of nutritional issues from breastfeeding to the requirements of premature babies and feeding issues in children up to one year of age. The authors are; Jocelyn Baynes-Clarke, neonatal nursery nurse, Dr Julian Eason, consultant neonatologist, Jennifer Livingstone, senior paediatric dietitian, and Dr Mary-Anne Morris, consultant paediatrician.

The Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital is home to one of only two highly-specialised Level 3 Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU) across Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire (the other centre is at the Rosie Hospital in Cambridge).

Last year the hospital's Neonatology staff cared for 786 babies, some born as young as 23 weeks old and weighing just over one pound.

Dr Eason said: “We receive many calls from health care professionals in the community related to feeding problems. These may be about babies who have been with us on the Neonatal Unit or who have medical problems but often include otherwise well Term babies in whom there are feeding difficulties. We have addressed the most common problems and hope to remove some of the confusing and often inconsistent information that parents are given.”

A Guide to Feeding Infants is being distributed to midwives, paediatric nurses and doctors, health visitors and doctors' surgeries across Norfolk.

Media contacts: Andrew Stronach or Hayley Gerrard on 01603 287200.