Edition 62 of the Children, Families and Maternity e-bulletin contains the following items:

• General News
  • ‘Liberating the NHS’ – White Paper published 12 July
  • Chief Medical Officer’s Public Health Awards May 2010
  • £30 million funding for Children’s Palliative Care projects
  • ‘Different Disciplines, Common Experience’ Nursing Grant
• Maternity
  • Maternity Support Workers (MSWs) Learning and Development Guide
  • Strengthening Preceptorship – Work in Yorkshire and Humber SHAs
  • Health in Pregnancy Grant – Coming to an End
• Healthy Child Programme and Early Years
  • NHS London Call for Health Visitors to Return to Work
  • Advice on Feeding Honey to Babies
• Child Health
  • British Lung Foundation launch its Children’s Charter
  • Reducing the Differences in the Update of Immunisations – Hepatitis B
  • CWDC Refreshes Common Core of Skills and Knowledge
  • New Anaesthesia Information for Children
  • C4EO’s sector-led Tailored Support service
  • Publication of Not Just a Phase: A Guide to the Participation of Children and Young People in Health Services
• Vulnerable Children
  • Munro Review of Child Protection
  • ContactPoint
  • Review of the Vetting and Barring Scheme
  • New report: ‘Family Perspectives on Safeguarding and on Relationships with Children’s Services’
  • Child protection clinical networks
  • New Online Tool to Assist Victims of Forced Marriage
• Ill and Disabled Children
  • Launch of New Website for Young People Living With Cancer
  • Medikidz – Explaining Medical Conditions to Children
• Conferences and events
  • ‘The Reality’ – National Conference on Bringing Care Closer to Home for Children 22nd September
• Sources of information
  • Department of Health Update - Place Your Order Online
• Feedback
• Join the distribution list

We would like to know what you think about the Department of Health West Midlands (DHWM) Regional Infant Feeding Programme.

This is part of an education of all Department of Health West Midlands programmes.

Please download the attached questionnaire, complete it and return it to caroline.mansell@nhs.net or if you wish to remain anonymous, feel free to omit your name, print and post this completed questionnaire to:

Caroline Mansell
Regional Infant Feeding Co-ordinator
Department of Health West Midlands
C/o NHS Walsall Community Health
Lichfield House
27-31 Lichfield Street
Walsall
WS1 1TE

It is important that we know if there is anything that we could do to improve the support that we provide. Your views about this are very important to us and will be treated in the strictest confidence.

The results of this survey will be used to help plan future development programmes.

Thank you.

News item from the UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Initiative on recent newspaper articles reporting on a Norwegian study that has found an association between higher levels of male hormones in pregnancy and the ability to breastfeed after birth.
To read the complete article which has references to further studies, please see www.babyfriendly.org.uk/items/item_detail.asp?item=620.

Figures published by the Department of Health on the "Breastfeeding prevalence at 6 to 8 weeks".
The Government wants to support mothers to increase the duration of breastfeeding. Prevalence of breastfeeding at six to eight weeks is used as a key indicator of child health and wellbeing. Parents receive help with breastfeeding in hospitals and in the community.

Latest advice and information for pregnant and breastfeeding women from the Department of Health on Swine Flu.

Welcome to the latest issue of the ChiMat Knowledge Update highlighting the latest news, events, reports, research and other resources relating to children, young people's and maternal health.

Highlights in the 17 July update include:

• SCIE Guide 30: Think child, think parent, think family: a guide to parental mental health and child welfare
• Manifesto for a Good Childhood
• Statutory guidance on children who run away and go missing from home or care: supporting local authorities to meet the requirements of national indicator 71: missing from home and care
• The roles and responsibilities of the Lead Member for Children's Services and the Director of Children's Services
• Safeguarding children: A review of arrangements in the NHS for safeguarding children
• Child trafficking and local authorities duties
• A tale of two CAFs: the impact of the electronic common assessment framework
• An exemplary scheme?: an evaluation of the Integrated Children's System

and much more....

Andrew Wadge, Chief Scientist at the Food Standards Agency writes in his blog (dated the 6th May 2008) about moves towards restricting the use of Bisphenol A (BPA) in food contact plastics.