Mother and Baby Units
| DOI | 10.1177/026455059003700317 |
| Date | 01 September 1990 |
| Published date | 01 September 1990 |
| Author | Sister Mary Gledhill |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
LETTERS
Deadline for leners in our December
issue is November 1st
Mother and Baby Units
Help d~rl~g preg~zctn~: In prison
women
have at least the same standard
Babies in prison will always be an
of ante-natal care as their outside
emotive subject but perhaps I can give
counterparts. They have support from
an
alternative and fairer account of our
staff and nursing cover 24 hours a day.
unit at Askham Grange than provided
They are monitored as often as re-
by Sheila White (PJ September 1989).
quired and admitted to hospital if there
I am
sure mother
and baby units cause
is the slightest doubt about the progress
a lot of headaches for probation of-
of the mother or baby. They are
ficers. The demands
of the mothers are
delivered in hospital and nursed there
many, all wanting instant solutions, but
for 10 days, enabling them to have fre-
the babies are happy, lively and well
quent visits from family and friends -
cared for and any baby who receives
those who live too far away for visits
love and attention from his or her
are visited by staff. Missing, of course,
mother will thrive either in or out of
is the emotional support from the part-
prison and I wonder if the child will
ner and family but arrangements are
even remember the unit by the age of
often made for someone (partner or
three.
mother) to be present at delivery, and
Lack of family contact: Many
we
do our best to notify them as early
young babies on the outside see only
in labour as we can.
their mother and female relatives dur-
Consent to have ,child in prison:
ing the day and are often asleep when
I think that this is an area we should
their fathers return home from work.
be looking into. We have mothers as
Or their father may be in prison or
early as five days after the delivery who
working away. Unit babies can be sent
arrive without their babies and this can
out to spend periods of leave with their
be devastating for the mother, baby,
fathers or grandparents if the mother
family and...
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