�190 for pregant women

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A new payment of �190 to expectant mothers will help them during the important last weeks of pregnancy, Financial Secretary to the Treasury Jane Kennedy said today.

The one-off payment, known as the Health in Pregnancy Grant, is designed to provide pregnant women with financial support, alongside important advice from a Health Professional, to help them invest in their individual needs during pregnancy, whilst giving them flexibility to choose how they budget and where they spend this money.

It will be available to every woman from the 25th week of pregnancy, once they have had the appropriate health advice from a health professional such as their midwife.

Announcing the Health in Pregnancy Grant during a speech to the Daycare Trust, Jane Kennedy said:

"We recognise that this is an expensive time for families. To support these extra costs in the run up to birth, the Health in Pregnancy Grant will enable all pregnant women to claim extra help from April 2009 once they've had the appropriate health advice from a health professional like their midwife.

"It builds on a series of improvements in the provision of maternity services including an increase in statutory maternity pay from 26 to 39 weeks and the support for women on low incomes provided by the Sure Start Maternity Grant and Healthy Start Vouchers. The grant also gives an extra incentive for all women to take up the professional health advice available during pregnancy."

Welcoming the new measure, Louise Silverton, Deputy General Secretary of the Royal College of Midwives, said:

"The Royal College of Midwives is pleased that the financial costs of pregnancy for women and their families has been recognised. This will help women to make essential purchases before the baby's arrival. Crucially it will also encourage pregnant women to live a healthier life, which is vital for them and the long term development of their babies. This is the very start of life and we are building the foundations for a baby to become a healthier adult. I would encourage women to speak to their midwife so that they can make the best use of the grant and make the right health choices for themselves and their baby."

Dr Peter Carter, General Secretary, Royal College of Nursing, said:

"The RCN has been working closely with Government in developing the Health in Pregnancy Grant and we look forward to seeing further detail of the proposals. The RCN is supportive of the underlying principle of the Government's plans to take active steps to send out a positive message to women about the importance of keeping good health during pregnancy. To ensure this is effective we would be particularly supportive of any policy measures to ensure that expectant mothers have improved access to advice on living a healthy lifestyle from healthcare professionals. It is also important for the grant to be non-means tested and available to all pregnant women, as their continued health during pregnancy is important for themselves, their baby and their family."

Notes for editors

1. In the 2006 Pre-Budget Report, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced that, in recognition of the importance of a healthy diet during pregnancy, from April 2009 every mother-to-be would be eligible for Child Benefit from the 29th week of her pregnancy. Treasury Ministers subsequently decided that provision should be payable as a new single payment called the Health in Pregnancy Grant.

2. The Health in Pregnancy Grant will be a one-off payment, of approximately �190, that all expectant mothers ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom may be able to claim, on condition of receiving the necessary maternal health advice from a health professional from 25 weeks of pregnancy. The grant will be payable per pregnancy.

3. The exact number of antenatal appointments and how often they occur will depend on a women's individual situation. Women expecting their first child are likely to have around 10 antenatal appointments and women have their second child around seven appointments.

4. The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) has set out the schedule and content of antenatal appointments. Women expecting their first child are likely to attend appointments before their 12th week, at 16, 18-20, 25, 28, 31, 34, 36, 38 and 40 weeks. Women expecting their second child are likely to attend appointments before their 12th week, at 16, 18-20, 28, 34, 36 and 38 weeks.

5. During early antenatal appointments women will be given information and advice about their maternity care and the choices available to them, maternity benefits, diet, other lifestyle advice such as smoking cessation, exercise and alcohol, and routine screening tests. The dietary advice includes information about the importance of nutrition, folic acid, and the consequences of excess levels of vitamin A, food supplements and food hygiene. Women receive health advice from their midwife and maternity healthcare professionals throughout their pregnancy, along with opportunities to discuss and ask questions, supported by antenatal classes and written information.