GEP Medicine in Society Guide 2024/25

6. Themed Days - Primary Care

6.11. Mother and baby

Preparatory work

In preparation you should have: 

Watch this short 2-minute video on NHS support a parent should expect to receive after birth. You should be able to recall and discuss this for the session.

Visit this NHS website on baby basics. You should be able to recall and discuss 3 practical bits of advice a health practitioner might give to an expectant parent.

 Reviewed the current UK routine child immunisation schedule.

Review 3 articles from the NHS services and support available for new parents and consider what are common challenges that new parents may face.

Aims 

To give you an opportunity to meet with and talk to a mother and her baby. To gain an understanding of the health monitoring and health promotion provided for babies and young children by the primary health care team. 

Learning Outcomes 

 By the end of the day, you should be able to: 

Describe the daily routine for one mother and baby or young child that they have met

List some of the health promotion services provided by the practice for mothers and their babies

Describe in detail one health promotion intervention provided for babies or young children

Describe some of their experiences communicating and engaging with the children

Discuss the most significant changes parents have to deal with after the birth of a child

Practise interview skills, and communication through play

Example timetable 

9.30 – 10.30	Tutorial on mother and baby. Please discuss the key learning points from the preparatory work.
10.30 – 10.45	Tea break
10.45 – 11.45	Prepare for patient encounters  Plan questions and observations     Patient encounters  Interview a mother (or other parent/caregiver) and their baby/child  Sit in with a GP for the 6-8 week mother and baby check and/or with the practice nurse for infant/child immunisations.  Meet with someone involved in providing care to parent/s and their babies e.g. health visitor, family support worker, person working for local voluntary organisation
11.45 – 12.30	Students feedback to group on their patient, or other, encounters
12.30 – 13.30	Lunch
13.30 – 15.30	1:1 student feedback with GP tutor    These student-led activities running alongside 1:1 feedback meetings:    Vaccination controversies:  Breakout task -role play scenarios  Student-led research, followed by group discussion focussing on these questions  Why is uptake of routine child vaccination dropping?  What could we do, both locally and nationally, to increase child vaccination rates?   Are mandates, legislation or sanctions a good idea? (or this could be a debate)    Tea break    Brief student feedback (individual & anonymous)  What were your favourite MedSoc experiences and why?  What learning need/s have you identified to take forward and develop in next year’s primary care placement? (GP2)
15.30 – 16.00	Final group debrief

Suggested Activities 

Tutorial on mother and baby – could include health promotion services for mothers and babies; discuss 6-8 week postnatal and baby check-up (look at red book); role of other healthcare professionals e.g. health visitors;

Roleplay scenarios tackling parental concerns about immunisations and misinformation e.g. about MMR.  There has been decline childhood vaccination uptake. This BMJ article outlines the ongoing trend. You can think about and research factors that are contributing towards this.

Watch Midwife Debbie talk about breast feeding in this 4-minute video. You should be able to recall and discuss the benefits of breastfeeding? You might also research and discuss some of the barriers to breastfeeding that a mother might face. This will help you focus how this topic can tie into health promotion.

Debate e.g. Is breastfeeding the best way of feeding an infant? Are mandates, legislation or sanctions a good way to increase uptake of routine childhood immunisations?

Prepare for meeting a mother and her baby; plan questions for parent/s e.g. daily routine, changes parents deal with after the birth of a child, what questions/concerns they have for GP or other healthcare professionals e.g. feeding. Interview a mother/family and their baby.

Sit in with a GP for the 6-8 week mother and baby check and/or with the practice nurse for infant/child immunisations.

Meet with practice nurse/health visitor to discuss their role in caring for mothers and their babies and young children.

Research into and/or visit to a local voluntary agency providing support to parents and their babies/children e.g. local NCT group, feeding café, children’s centre; meet with a person who delivers this support.

Final feedback meeting with GP tutor.

  Questions for you to consider 

Did anything surprise you about your meeting with a mother or parent/s and their baby/young child?  What sort of support do you think new parents might need from health care professionals?

There have been some well–documented controversies around vaccination of children.  What do you think the role of the GP/Health visitor is in this area?  How would you deal with patients whose views conflicted with the advice you were giving to them?