Following a serious case review in Torbay, and in line with a National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) campaign, the Torbay Safeguard Children Board is rolling out a local campaign called Handle Babies with Care.

The campaign aims to keep babies safe and help parents understand the fragility of a baby’s head and the dangers of rough handling.

Handle with Care: A guide to keeping your baby safe is a guide produced by NSPCC and explains how to keep a baby the dangers and gives advice on safe ways of holding and caring for a baby.

This simple leaflet explains why parents should never shake their babies and suggests ways of coping when the crying doesn’t stop. It is also a valuable resource for services and professionals working with new parents or in antenatal care.

Local campaign, Handle Babies with Care, focuses on fathers and in coming weeks posters and bus panel advertising will be seen across the Bay.
The advertising shows a young male called Ryan relaxed and handling a baby with care. It also advises never to shake a baby and to take a break if the crying becomes too much.

David Taylor, the Independent Chair of Torbay Safeguarding Children Board, said: “This is a really important initiative which will inform new parents about the potential fragility of young babies.

“The Torbay Safeguarding Children Board is keen to ensure we learn lessons from both local and national cases where children have been seriously injured as a result of inappropriate handling. The campaign aims to help parents care for their baby safely and with confidence.”

Although 200 babies suffer from abusive injury to the brain each year with men more likely to be the cause of the injuries, unintentional injury is one of the leading causes of disability and death in children.

Around 25% of these children will die as a result of their injuries and up to 80% who survive will suffer from severe life changing disabilities.

For advice on how to handle babies with care please call your Health Visitor or contact Torbay Children’s Centres on 01803 329666 or please visit the NSPCC at http://tinyurl.com/NSPCChandlebabieswithcare or visit www.torbay.gov.uk/earlyhelp

For further information please contact Angela Cappello, Communications Officer on 01803 208851.