BLISS, the premature baby charity, and Fairy Non Bio launch the “Support 1 in 8” campaign, to fund ground-breaking research into the long-term benefits of parents getting closer to their babies from day one in the medical environment.

Babies born requiring special care may go through a staggering ten or more medical procedures a day. Some may need one an hour. Nurses may not have the time to use soothing techniques, or to show parents how to use them. To add to this, a parent’s ability to touch and soothe their premature or sick baby, a highly comforting act with proven benefits to the baby, is often hampered by essential medical equipment such as incubators and ventilators.

What’s more, research has also shown that the feeling of helplessness and not knowing how to help their newborn is the most common source of stress for parents of special care babies. This has a huge impact on the long-term wellbeing of parent and baby alike, as well as on their longer- term relationship. It has been shown that parents who can get close to their baby and help provide care and treatment from early on, can enhance their baby’s development. As a result, the 80,000 babies born premature or sick in the UK could all benefit from increased understanding and work in this area.

The research, which is unusual in that it is nurse-led, will test ways in which parents can overcome the barriers they face. It will directly involve approximately 200 patients, nurses and parents and will be conducted across four neonatal units in the UK.

At the heart of the research is the idea that parents who are given the opportunity to become directly involved in their baby's care and treatment are likely to find it easier to bond with their child. Not only does this direct involvement encourage a stronger relationship between parent and baby, it may also reduce stress for the parents and help them get through the challenges of having a baby that is born prematurely or sick.

The research will be led by international neonatal care expert, Dr Linda Franck.

For further information on the Fairy Non Bio and BLISS “Support 1 in 8” campaign or to find out how you can make a donation to BLISS, visit www.bliss.org.uk

Fairy Non Bio has always helped mums care for their babies and the extended partnership with BLISS is a natural progression in this care. Not only is Fairy Non Bio dermatologically tested but it has also been awarded the British Allergy Foundation Seal of Approval by Allergy UK.