Info dedicated to dads

7:00am Saturday 3rd May 2008

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HUNDREDS of NHS hospitals, the British Armed Forces, major employers and local authorities are delivering the world's first dedicated dads' information service, launched this week.

The Dad Info service, based at www.dad.info and offering wallet-sized Dad cards on key issues, is being offered by more than 270 (of 330) maternity units across the UK (for a list, go to www.dad.info).

The British Armed Forces are providing the cards to new fathers serving overseas. Lloyds TSB and BT are among employers providing the service in the workplace, with Essex County Council, England's second largest local authority, also providing Dad Info to their fathers via 60 children's centres.

James Bond star, Colin Salmon (who plays MI6 chief of staff), said: We are dads not gods. It's also ok to say I don't know' and look for answers. You'll find a lot of them in Dad Info and, as you will discover, there is little time to spare for stubborn pride so read it and sleep."

The launch follows a recent report from the Fatherhood Institute earlier, calling on hospitals to do more to involve fathers and allow mothers to have their partner with them all the time after a baby is born.

The new service, which is free to the NHS, is a response to increasing involvement of fathers in children's lives and their demand for reliable and accessible information on health and other issues.

The Dad Info card and website cover all aspects of pregnancy, birth and new parenthood from a dad's perspective, including the most important health issues for his partner and baby.

There is information on paternity leave and fathers' legal rights, articles on sex during and after pregnancy, the financial help available to families and entertainment features such as the best toys for dads.

Each article has a comment system that allows dads to debate the issues and add their knowledge to the site.

On the site, dads can buy nappy changing bags designed for dads (as used by Brad Pitt), gift packs for new mothers and a DVD on how dads can boost their baby's brain power.

Maternity units, which will supply the cards to expectant dads, hail the development as a major breakthrough as they adapt to dads being much more hands-on with baby care than in the past.

Over 90 per cent of fathers have direct contact with maternity services at some time in their partner's pregnancy.

Dad Info is a privately financed publication without Government subsidy or grant, established by parents and professionals. The service aims to be useful to the half a million British men who become dads each year, as well as the estimated 8 million who are currently fathers of children.

Tom Beardshaw, co-founder of Dad Info, said: We've developed an information service to get the information fathers need into the hands of UK dads.

"We hope that eventually all fathers will have easy access to this free service and that dads everywhere will use it to add their own knowledge."