Camden's Health Visiting and Family Support Service

We support Camden families with children, from pregnancy to age five, to be safe, happy, healthy and ready for school.

The early years are a crucial time for children’s development. The foundations of almost every aspect of development – physical, intellectual and emotional – are laid down in early childhood. From birth to 18 months, connections in the brain are created at a rate of one million per second. The earliest experiences shape a baby’s brain development and have a lifelong impact on mental and emotional health. Later interventions, although important, are considerably less effective than interventions in the early years, when the foundations for a best start can be adversely affected.

Our integrated team works together to identify and support the needs of families at the earliest opportunity. We support families to cope effectively with daily challenges and we maximise opportunities for children’s development.

Feeding your baby

Visit this website for information on feeding your baby

Well-Baby Clinic

Your baby will be weighed during their first two weeks by the midwife to make sure they're regaining their birth weight. Most babies are at, or above, their birth weight by 2 weeks.

A midwife or health visitor will support you if your baby loses a large amount of weight or does not regain their birth weight by two weeks.

At a Well Baby clinic, families can discuss any health issues and can weigh their child.

The health visiting service operates both appointment-only clinics and drop-in clinics, held throughout Camden every week.

If you would like an appointment please contact the health visiting service on 020 3317 3032 / camden.dutyhv@nhs.net

Remember: if you have a question about you or your child, you can telephone your Health Visiting service for advice and support.

How often should my baby be weighed?

After the first two weeks, your baby should be weighed:

• no more than once a month up to 6 months of age
• no more than once every 2 months from 6 to 12 months of age
• no more than once every 3 months over the age of 1

Your baby will usually be weighed more often than this if there are concerns about their health or growth

Here's a list of Well-baby Clinic sessions available in Camden.

Coping with Crying

BABIES CRY! Infant crying is normal and it will stop. A baby’s cry can be upsetting and frustrating. It is designed to get your attention and you may be worried that something is wrong with your baby. Your baby may start to cry more frequently at about 2 weeks of age. The crying may get more frequent and last longer during the next few weeks, hitting a peak at about 6 to 8 weeks. Every baby is different, but after about 8 weeks, babies start to cry less and less each week.

Useful inks and resopurces:

• Information for parents and carers
• Premature babies
• ICON
• ‘Infant crying is normal’ poster
• ‘Comfort methods’ poster
• ‘I am unshakeable’ video

The Health Visiting Service in Camden invites the parents or carers of children coming up to one and two years old to bring their child for an appointment at a local Health Centre or Children’s Centre to talk about their development. This is undertaken by one of our Community Nursery Nurses who are part of our wider Camden Health Visiting team and will look at things like your child’s walking, communication, play, eating and social interactions.

More information about developmental reviews can be found below:

• Frequently asked questions about child developmental reviews
• Camden Sure Start: 2 Year Old Development Review

You do not need a referral to access the service.

Appointment Only:

Drop in Clinics: 

Please note: We do not operate our clinics on bank/public holidays. 

If you need to speak to a health visitor please contact our duty team on 020 3317 3032 or email camden.dutyhv@nhs.net

If you need help in a crisis, please do the following

• Contact the CNWL service looking after you during their office hours
• If the crisis is during when your service is closed, there are alternative options provided by the NHS found on this page.
• If you are not already being looked after by CNWL or elsewhere within the NHS, see your GP during normal working hours as they can then refer you to a local service.

Find your closest GP on NHS Choices.