Aid project is bearing fruit

HEALTH secretary Nicola Sturgeon yesterday met the first babies born under a pioneering new project to help teenage parents.

The Family Nurse Partnership Programme supports first-time parents under the age of 19 and is being trialled in the NHS Lothian area.

Under the scheme, seven family nurses will visit mothers-to-be once or twice a fortnight during their pregnancy and for the first two years of the child's life. They offer guidance on child development, preventative health measures, parenting skills, breastfeeding, diet information and advice for mothers on education and employment. A total of 55 babies have so far been born to the 131 families taking part in the project.