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Grandmothers Tea, MCH Offers Class For Grandmothers Raising Grandchildren 12/3/12
Ashley Melnick
amelnick@cbs7.com
CBS 7 News
December 3, 2012
ODESSA-There are millions of grandparents taking on the role of raising their grandchildren in the U.S., so MCH Center for Women and Infants is stepping in to help older caretakers.
Parenting classes will not only be for new parents, but also for new grandmothers.
Candy Powell, a nurse at MCH, said many new moms are young and are doing more than just raise their child.
“Now, a lot of moms are working, so grandmothers are taking on the role of mom while moms are at work,” said Powell. “Also, some moms are young and may be attending schools as well.”
So to help grandmothers take on the role as mom, MCH will host a Grandmothers Tea this Wednesday.
It will be a free informational meeting on the most up-to-date information from infant feeding to safety.
Powell said medical research has changed over years, and grandmothers need to know the latest on how to best raise their grandchildren.
“When my children were born, you were always told to place the baby on its tummy, but recommendations have changed over the years,” said Powell. “And after much research it’s suggested your baby be placed on its back to sleep.”
Placing a child on its back can prevent Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, known as SIDS, and Powell said that will be one of the biggest issues she wants to address.
“We want to reduce SIDS and also Plagiocephaly, which can misshapen the baby’s head and affect brain growth,” said Powell.
For more information, call 640-1714.