Dr. Karen Matvienko-Sikar:

Yes, as part of the CHErIsH study, we link in with the HSE Making Every Contact Count programme. That would encompass the 24 contact points up until the age of two years and then there are additional contact points up until three years of age.

Under the Making Every Contact Count programme, the HSE is currently developing messages for healthcare professionals to deliver as well as healthcare professional training. We link in with them in order that there is crossover in the messages we are developing to be delivered in primary care. This means the messages delivered to parents are standardised. The aim of the CHErIsH project is to examine the feasibility of delivering healthy infant feeding messages through primary care and to ensure the messages are consistent with the messages that are delivered through healthcare professionals. We have crossover and links with the HSE.

With regard to the home management advisers and more practical guidance, we have feedback from many parents that we have spoken to that the more practical aspects would be particularly useful.

What is interesting from our point of view is which aspects are sustainable on a larger scale. Our focus at the moment is on trying to see what can be implemented at primary care level, while being cognisant that some of the resources parents require may be outside this. We are trying to find a balance between the two whereby, potentially, parents could be provided with signposting information to additional, more practical resources, but the initial message would be delivered in the primary care practice.