Healthy Families NZ: $810,000 healthy start for greater Wellington families

The Government is investing $810,000 to support pregnant women and new mums to understand the importance of good nutrition and physical activity for their babies and for themselves.

Health Minister Tony Ryall says “recent international research evidence and advice from Professor Sir Peter Gluckman suggests that preconditions for overweight and obesity are set very early.

“That’s why the Government is focusing on improving women’s health in pregnancy and the postnatal period by promoting healthy eating and physical activity – and good nutrition for their infants and toddlers.”

Associate Health Minister Jo Goodhew says the $810,000 project will improve the quality and uptake of nutrition and physical activity advice given to pregnant women, mothers of infants in the first year of life, and their families.

“There is a lot of information out there on what to eat during pregnancy and what to feed your baby and this can be confusing for pregnant women and new mothers,” Mrs Goodhew says.

“This project will be working with all health professionals working with pregnant women and new mothers. It will start by simplifying nutrition and physical activity messages and making sure they are consistent, and make sense to mothers and their families. ”

Mr Ryall says there’ll be training for health professionals on the messages and ways of delivering them.

“This project will look at innovative ways of delivering messages – one on one with health professionals as well as e-learning platforms such as smart phone apps,” Mr Ryall says.

This project will be delivered by a partnership comprising Regional Public Health; Service Integration and Development Unit of Capital and Coast DHB, Hutt Valley DHB and Wairarapa DHB; Te Awakairangi Health Network; and Compass Health.

Mr Ryall says “This is one in a series of investments in Healthy Families NZ the Government is making to help families around the country give their children a healthy start.

Funding for the new initiative is from within the Ministry of Health’s existing budget. The $810,000 announced is initially over two years and the project will be fully evaluated for potential further roll out.

“The Government is committed to New Zealand children getting the best possible start in life and projects like this will be a great help to families,” Mr Ryall says.

“This initiative will support work being done by a whole range of organisations to help mums and families make positive nutrition choices for their children,” Mrs Goodhew says.