Cornish innovation, DadPad, announced new venture on World Prematurity Day
Friday 17th November marks World Prematurity Day, and Cornish company DadPad are marking the occasion by announcing their new product – DadPad Neonatal.
The DadPad was created to fill a gap in services and support for new dads – helping them to prepare for the life-changing experience of having a child. The pack of laminated cards cover everything from holding and handling a baby to support with anxiety and mental health issues.
The new version of the information pack will be available early 2018, initially to Poole Hospital Neonatal Unit in Dorset, and creator Julian Bose was delighted to share the news on World Prematurity Day.
Julian commented:
“Being a new dad is already a difficult thing to come to terms with, and being a parent of a child in neonatal care potentially comes with a whole lot of other emotions and problems to deal with, but certainly with more information to be understood about your new baby.
“Sometimes when a child is in neonatal care, there may be medical attention required for both baby and mother – initially leaving the dad to come to terms with the situation completely alone. This can be traumatic and we hope the DadPad Neonatal will become a valuable tool to offer support and advice during this sensitive time.
“World Prematurity Day was a natural day to share the new product, as the day highlights the work our wonderful neonatal teams do.”
DadPad Neonatal was written in partnership with Minesh Khashu, Lead Consultant Neonatologist at Poole Hospital, Dorset, where a need for better communication and support for dads of children in neonatal care was identified. Following funding from National Lottery’s Awards4All, DadPad Neonatal has been developed, ready for launch in two units – Royal Cornwall Hospital Treliske and Poole Hospital.
Emma Norton, Neonatal Nurse at Royal Cornwall Hospital Treliske, commented:
“DadPad Neonatal is the perfect device to bridge the gap between neonatal services and dads, helping them understand the terminology and process their child may be involved with. The DadPad cards are a perfect communication device for neonatal units, where the sensitive nature of the units means dads understanding what is happening and asking for help, and therefore feeling supported, is extremely important. We are so thrilled to be one of the first two units in the country to be utilising DadPad Neonatal and feel it will be a huge asset to our teams and our parents. I look forward to developing our version with Julian for the local Unit once the one for Poole goes out”.
Following the launch of DadPad Neonatal in 2018, Julian hopes to see the resource available across all 178 neonatal units in the country, and generate a community of dads who can discuss and share their problems, questions and anecdotes.
If you would like to find out more information about the DadPad, DadPad Neonatal or how you can make the most of the service, visit: www.thedadpad.co.uk
