Baby One Program: Delivering preventative primary health care to young families in Cape York Indigenous communities

Apunipima Cape York Health Council Cape York is the large landmass north of Cairns in the north-eastern most part of Australia. Apunipima offers Primary Health Care services to 11 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities

Baby One Program

Baby One Program 15 home visits Pregnancy through first 1000 days after birth Delivered by trained Health Workers Contains key health messages pertinent to development at the timing of the visit

Purpose Providing education that is relevant, accessible, understandable, and culturally appropriate. Building contact and relationship with families Empowering young families to make positive health changes

Content Dangers of alcohol and smoking Self-care Family violence Hygiene Nutrition Oral health Benefits of breastfeeding Benefits of immunisation Early milestones Speech and language development Hearing health

Some positive outcomes Immunisation rates, and keeping up with the schedule Education opportunities for adult flu vaccination

Some positive outcomes Rates of smoking on Cape York remain very high Increase in number of mothers seeking help to quit smoking Current amendments to the Baby One Program to target fathers in education around smoking

Fruit & Vegetable Vouchers The Baby One Program offers incentives for attending regular clinical health appointments Selected ante-natal and Child Health clinic visits, including some immunisation visits, attract a voucher to redeem fruit and veggies from the local shop

Language development Signs and symptoms of Otitis Media are included Strong focus on language enrichment and development Betty Hart & Todd Risely theorized that the speed children learn new words is established by age 4. Hart, B., & Risely, T.R., “The Early Catastrophe”, in Meaningful differences in the everyday experiences of young American children (1995), Brookes.

In summary Family empowerment to effect positive change Improved engagement with health care professionals Improved attendance for clinic check ups and immunisations Increased exposure to healthy foods Increased attempts at smoking cessation

Baby One Program: preventative primary health care for young families in Cape York communities