Criticism for ban on baby cooing

The hospital claims the move will also protect babies from infection

A national support group for mothers has criticised a hospital that has banned visitors to the neo-natal unit from cooing at babies.

The National Childbirth Trust (NCT) said the move by the Calderdale Royal Hospital in Halifax was unnecessary.

The NCT said: "Mothers are able to tell people not to look at their babies or pull the curtain round for privacy."

A hospital spokesman said the guidelines were issued "in response to parents' concerns".

It said its advice related to very ill babies on its neo-natal intensive care unit.

People cannot resist cooing over new babies but we need to respect the child Debbie Lawson, neo-natal manager

A spokesman for the Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Trust said: "The unit has some of the most vulnerable and sickest babies, often very premature, who are nursed for a considerable length of time.

"It was in response to their [parents]concerns about privacy and infection control that these guidelines were issued."

The hospital issued the ban over concerns that a baby's human rights may be breached by cooing visitors and also because of fears over spreading infections.

Infection control

Belinda Phipps, chief executive of the NCT, said the hospital may have misinterpreted the NCT's own guidelines.

HAVE YOUR SAY If a baby I was cooing over asked me to stop because I was infringing on their human rights then I would Pej, London, UK Send us your comments

She said: "There's nothing about visitors to hospital.

"I don't find myself with a post bag full of (letters from) women complaining that other people are looking at their babies.

"The hospital needs to treat mothers as grown-ups as opposed to making the rules for them."

Some new mothers have already said they are astonished by the rules which stop people asking questions about their babies or looking at them in maternity wards.

Debbie Lawson, neo-natal manager at the hospital's special care baby unit, said: "We know people have good intentions and most people cannot resist cooing over new babies but we need to respect the child.

"Cooing should be a thing of the past because these are little people with the same rights as you or me."