A MATERNITY unit is giving newborn babies special red woolly hats as part of a new safety initiative to reduce the number of babies admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit.

Poole Hospital’s lead midwife Christine Pearse introduced the unique idea to St Mary’s maternity hospital after hearing of its effectiveness in other hospitals - and has now called on the county's knitters to lend a hand.

Midwives say the cosy red hats are an effective way of keeping babies warm in the first few hours after birth when babies come from a warm womb into the world because newborn babies are at an increased risk of hypothermia in the first 12 hours.

But some babies need a little extra attention and the red hats provide a visual prompt to all staff that the baby needs closer observation than is usually required. This could be due to complications including respiratory conditions, jaundice or an abnormal blood glucose levels.

Now the hospital is appealing for keen knitters to get busy making the special red hats for its youngest patients.

Christine Pearse said: “It’s well known that babies need to be kept warm immediately after birth.

“Thanks to kind donations from the public we have been able to give every newborn baby a woollen hat but now we’re encouraging knitters to get their red wool out and knit these special hats for our babies.

“They’re a simple but very effective way of ensuring all staff are aware that a baby may need a little bit more attention.”

Mum Tracy Tome-De-Brito, said she found baby Alden’s red hat reassuring.

“It’s a good idea to make all the staff aware that a baby needs a bit more checking for things like blood sugar levels.

“It’s reassuring to know staff can easily see if a baby needs that extra attention by wearing a red hat.”

Poole Hospital has previously launched knitting appeals including making memory mittens for patients with dementia and crocheted octopus for premature babies.

For the knitting pattern and for more information go to poole.nhs.uk