main content Real nappies at the Princess Royal University Hospital

In support of National Real Nappy Week, all babies born on 20 June at the Princess Royal University Hospital, Farnborough, were set to wear a real nappy straight after delivery.

Supported by Bromley Council’s Real Nappy Campaign and Bumbletots Ltd, a local nappy laundry service, midwives at the hospital were keen to offer real nappies as an alternative to disposables.

Angela Canning, Head of Midwifery at the Princess Royal University Hospital, said, "Real, or cloth, nappies are used in many other countries around the world on maternity wards because it makes it much easier for midwives to check for the baby’s urinary function in the first few hours after birth. I would love to see this choice being offered on a permanent basis to all our new parents, which may also encourage more people to use real nappies when they return home with their baby."

Bromley Council’s Real Nappy Campaign offers parents the opportunity to look at real nappies and discuss the many benefits of using them. The Council also provides a £30 reward cheque for those residents who do decide to make the change to real nappies.

Kay Spurrier, Environment Promotions Officer said, "By using real nappies parents can reduce their household waste by half and also save themselves money. We are delighted to be working with midwives and other health professionals to give parents a choice in which nappy to use when baby arrives."

If you would like more information about choosing and using real nappies, go to www.bromley.gov.uk/realnappies or call the Council’s Green Team on 020 8313 4913.

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

• Real Nappy Week is co-ordinated by the Women's Environmental Network and the Real Nappy Campaign and funded by WRAP, Real Nappy Week is the annual focus of the nappy waste prevention campaign.
• The week brings together local authorities, local groups, members of the NHS and individuals in a national campaign to promote practical alternatives to wasteful products by using cloth nappies visit www.wen.org.uk/nappies/index.htm.
• Summer Rose Clarke was the first baby born in Real Nappy Week wearing real nappies at the Princess Royal University Hospital at 06.30 a.m. on Monday.

For media enquiries, please contact Andrew Rogers, Communications Advisor on 020 8461 7670 or Kay Spurrier, Environment Promotions Officer, on 020 8313 4913 or e-mail andrew.rogers@bromley.gov.uk.

Further information is available at www.bromley.gov.uk/realnappies.