A NEW project has been started in to strengthen the relationship between babies and their parents.

Little Minds Matter: Bradford Infant Mental Heath Service, is being run by Better Start Bradford in partnership with Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust and Family Action.

The new service will support expectant parents and those with children up to the age of two that may need some extra support in developing the relationship with their baby.

It will work with parents in the Bowling and Barkerend, Bradford Moor and Little Horton wards.

Parents will be able to access one-to-one support or group support to help with problems that are affecting the relationship between parents and babies, which could come about during pregnancy, such as anxieties about the unborn baby, during the birth due to, for example, a traumatic labour, or after the birth, due to issues such as low mood or worries about bonding.

Dr Gemma Dyble, clinical lead and clinical psychologist in the Little Minds Matter team, said: “When we talk about infant mental health, people often wonder how mental health issues can affect those so young.

“It helps us to think about a baby’s emotional wellbeing. Healthy first relationships are really important for a baby’s future mental health and development.

“If a baby feels safe and secure and experiences the world as a consistent, loving place, they will build a healthy brain and grow into a confident person who enjoys happy relationships.

“As a service, we feel that parents want to give the best possible start for their babies.

“However, there are challenges that can get in the way of this happening. Our service aims to help families to achieve their positive intentions, whilst recognising that some families cannot do it alone.”

Jo Howes, integration and change manager at Better Start Bradford, added: “We are really pleased to be launching the Little Minds Matter project.

“It is exciting to be able to offer our families support in building relationships with their babies whilst also supporting those in the community that are working with them.

“We are learning all the time about the importance of babies emotional wellbeing and healthy first relationships and we are really keen to find out as much as we can from this project.”

The project will also offer training, consultation and support to other professionals working across the Better Start Bradford area, to increase awareness of infant mental health and how they can help people in need.

Sarah Maruyama, Family Action’s operational manager, said: “We are keen to build on the success of our Better Start Bradford Perinatal Support service and look forward to working with our Little Minds Matter partners.

“We have successfully worked with people accessing services from a diverse range of communities in the past and look forward to successful engagement in the development of this exciting new service.”

If you live in the Better Start Bradford area and think you would benefit from the Little Minds Matter project, speak to your GP, midwife or other healthcare professional.