Parents of babies born in South Tipperary over the next two months will be able to avail of extra help in learning how to take care of their infants thanks to a pilot project being run by the South Eastern Health Board.
As part of the project an information pack including a book and an audio CD are to be distributed to all new parents.
Project officer Edel Conway said the aim of the pack was to help people deal with the everyday concerns new parents often have.
Produced after consultation with various groups, the pack gives information both on caring for the baby and on how parents can better look after themselves.
Conway said there had been a number of reports carried out within the Irish health service over recent years which had recommended that more child health information be provided to parents.
The Child Health Information Service Project, known as CHISP, is also now working on similar information packs for the different stages until children reach pre-school age.
Conway said that one of the main findings emerging from their research into parents' needs was that people wanted basic parenting tips relevant to the age of their children. For this reason it was decided to do separate booklets for different age groups. Work has now started on the next pack for the six months-plus stage.
The initial research was conducted using focus groups representing as many different views as possible, including parents of children with special needs, parents of those with long-term illnesses, asylum-seekers/refugees and Travellers. Another focus group included fathers, and health professionals were also consulted. The project will be extended to the entire South Eastern Health Board region from September, and other health boards have expressed an interest in adopting the package for their own areas.
The pack, Conway said, was targeted at the widest range of people, from those with postgraduate degrees to people who might have difficulty reading.
One reason the information is also supplied on an audio CD is because in the initial consultation some parents said they would have difficulty reading a book on childcare.
"This is universal first stage information but it also directs people to where they can get more in-depth information if they need it," Conway said.
Details are given of various websites which could be useful and there is also a section on rights and entitlements. All the basic questions that arise in the care of a new baby are dealt with such as feeding/weaning, crying and sleeping.
The packs will be distributed by public health nurses on their first visit after the birth of a baby. At the end of the pilot project all parents will be contacted to evaluate how well the pack has met their needs.
Conway said the initial response from members of the various focus groups had been very positive.