Experts from Warwick Medical School (WMS) and NHS Coventry have compiled a DVD intended to help parents as they embark on their new role in life.

In a three month trial, the DVD, entitled ‘A Good Start in Life’, will be given to all parents as they leave University Hospital in Coventry following the birth of a child.

The DVD is based on the experiences and reflections of other parents. It aims to help new mums and dads develop the key communication skills that make life easier for parents and babies.

Professor Sarah Stewart-Brown, Chair of Public Health at Warwick Medical School, explained: “It’s so important that new parents are supported during those first weeks and months. Getting the early relationship right has lifelong implications for the health and wellbeing of the baby. If parents can learn these skills they are much better equipped to parent. It helps enormously if they can understand what’s needed from the start.

“Babies communicate right from day one; they pick up on adults’ moods and can sense whether parents are stressed, happy or sad. Knowing how to interpret those baby communication signals boosts confidence and helps parents feel more relaxed about the new job they have taken on.”

Over the next three months, in addition to being given to new parents by midwives at University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire, the DVD will be distributed across Coventry to local children’s centres and GP surgeries. Following the trial, Warwick Medical School will work with local health visitors to evaluate the impact of the DVD and determine whether it is a useful addition to healthcare provision and should become national practice.

Overall this DVD can be seen as a step forward in helping parents understand the needs of their new-born, and to give these children and parents a good start in life.

The DVD is being launched at an event on 20 July, at Warwick Medical School where key speakers from WMS, Coventry City Council and the Department of Health will speak to invited guests. To view the DVD click on the link below:

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Notes to Editors:
If you would like an interview or further information contact Kate Cox, Communications Manager, on +44 (0)2476 150483/574255, m: +44 (0)7920 531221 or kate.cox@warwick.ac.uk.