Heartwrenching Call the Midwife scenes sparks huge response from viewers
Heartwrenching Call the Midwife scenes sparks huge response from viewers
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Call the Midwife’s heart-rending storyline about a baby born with spina bifida being rejected by its parents sparked more than 30,000 visits to the NHS website. In the episode a mother gave birth to a daughter with the spinal condition and swiftly packed her bags and left, claiming she and her husband were unable to meet the baby’s needs. Named June by the nurses, the baby was diagnosed by Dr Turner (Stephen McGann) after being born with a large blister on her back containing spinal fluid.
After her parents left the maternity home, she was lovingly cared for by the Nonnatus House team, who saw her through a successful operation and arranged for her to be enrolled at the Mother House orphanage. In the hour after the programme aired there were 18,876 visits to the spina bifida NHS webpage, with the weekly total hitting 30,202, compared with 2,280 the week before. While the precise causes of spina bifida are unknown, a number of factors including low folic acid levels and a family history of the condition are risk factors. The NHS advises pregnant women to take folic acid supplements before and during their pregnancy.
Baroness Merron, Minister for Patient Safety, Women's Health and Mental Health, said: “It is brilliant to see Call the Midwife bringing this serious and often preventable condition to people’s attention, so people can seek the advice they need to protect their baby. This government is taking action to protect mothers and babies, including introducing a law to require flour to be fortified with folic acid, helping prevent 200 cases of debilitating brain and spine defects in babies every year.”.
