Age-paced parenting newsletters: delivering healthy messages

There are many sources of information that reinforce the positive and health-enhancing benefits of increasing resources to support parents. Health visitors already provide preventive health care through advice and support on a wide range of health issues, however evidence consistently shows that access to and uptake of care is poorest for those who are most vulnerable. Although the evidence points to the effectiveness of targeting new parents with support systems and information, there are only a few examples of supplying written information on a regular basis to achieve this. This article sets out the background to and the implementation of a feasibility study, which entailed producing and distributing a monthly newsletter to parents within one GP surgery in St Albans. The monthly newsletters provide an accessible service to all new parents allowing the dissemination of age-appropriate health promotion information, and ultimately allow parents to make informed choices that influence the whole family's health. The newsletters adequately address issues and recommendations laid out in several recent important documents and policies.