Babies born to teenage mums in Bradford are getting a better start thanks to a new nursing team.

The Family Nurse Partnership (FNP) is a programme being piloted in Bradford south with first-time mums aged 19 and under.

Its aim is to improve the health and wellbeing of children and families by providing them with a named nurse who sees them up to 14 times during the pregnancy, weekly when the baby is born, moving to fortnightly and then monthly.

The nurses focus on personal health, environmental health, life course development, maternal role, family and friends and health services, with the aim of reducing infant mortality by making sure mums-to-be get the care and support they need.

A team of nurses from Bradford and Airedale Community Health Service started the FNP earlier this year and so far are seeing 60 mums.

Alex Horsfall, family nurse supervisor for the project, said: “We work very closely with the mums to build on their strengths and encourage them to fulfil their aspirations for their baby and themselves.

“All the women want the best for their baby, so we help them to make positive changes now to help them achieve the best future.

“It’s great that we’ve had so many women joining the programme and so far the results are really encouraging. We’ve seen mums stop smoking, improve their confidence and self-esteem, think about going back to education or training, and start to build better relationships with their families so they have more support and a stable home life.”

Sami, 18, so happy with help

Eighteen-year-old Sami Winn is one of the first young mums to benefit from a pilot project.

After a difficult pregnancy in the past and the loss of a baby, she was grateful for the extra support on offer.

She was put in touch with Family Nurse Partnership nurse Julie Brice when she was 19 weeks pregnant and the pair have forged a strong relationship.

Little baby Kelsey arrived on July 9 and Sami and her partner, Damian Webster , 27, of Halcyon Way, Bradford, regard Julie’s visits as “a friend coming round”.

Focusing on personal health, Julie helped Sami cut down on smoking and start eating breakfast while pregnant. Sami identified she wanted to breastfeed and be a good mum, and since Kelsey’s birth, Julie has worked with Sami to achieve her goals.

Sami said: “I think I would have been a bit lost if Julie hadn’t have been here.”