HC Deb 24 March 1981 vol 1 cc317-8W
Mr. Haynes

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what percentage of newborn babies is being fed by a time schedule according to hospital policy.

Sir George Young

This information is not collected centrally, but "Reducing the Risk" said that the practice of following too rigid a feeding schedule was becoming less common. Feeding on demand is also discussed in "Present Day Practice in Infant Feeding: 1980", the report of a working party of the Panel of Child Nutrition, Committee on Medical Aspects of Food Policy, which was published earlier this month.

Mr. Haynes

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he has any plans to provide more special-care baby clinics in the light of the number of problems mothers have with their babies after the birth.

Sir George Young

The report from the Social Services Committee on perinatal and neonatal mortality recommendedRegional surveys should be done to define accurately the provision and rate of occupancy of SCBU"— special care baby unit cots in DGHs"— district general hospitals— and except where a local need can clearly be demonstrated, there should be no further increase in the provision of SCIBU cots".

Paragraph 79 of Cmnd. 8084 referred this recommendation to health authorities and it has since been brought to their attention in health circular (80)13.