Julie Morgan MS, Deputy Minister for Health and Social Services
The first families in Wales have now received a baby bundle as Swansea Bay University Health Board has begun piloting the scheme.
I would like thank the health board and the midwifery team for their support to deliver this pilot project, which will see some 200 delivered in the Swansea Bay area over the coming months.
The baby bundle has been designed to promote health and wellbeing in new-born children and help parents in the first days and weeks of a baby’s life by providing some of the essentials every family needs.
Each of the baby bundles in the pilot project includes high-quality baby clothes in a range of sizes; baby sleep sacks; some items for play and to support early communication and bonding between parents and their children; household items to support safe bathing and a range of items to support women after the birth.
Some bundles contain a baby wrap/sling while others contain a re-useable nappy starter pack. The bundles also contain some useful information for new parents as well as links to all of our digital parenting support.
These will be available to all new parents in the pilot but there is no obligation on parents to accept a baby bundle if they do not want or need one. Similar schemes have had very high take-up and the evidence so far suggests women in Swansea have been keen to sign up for the pilot at their 28-week antenatal appointments.
The development of the baby bundle and its contents has been informed by feedback from new parents and professionals. We have also learned from similar schemes elsewhere, including the Scottish scheme.
The pilot will be independently evaluated. At this stage we are testing the concept of delivering a baby bundle in Wales and gathering as much evidence as we can on its benefits or otherwise. The findings will be available in spring 2021 and will help to inform longer-term decisions about the scheme.
I will update Members with further information about the evaluation of the pilot.