An obstetrician is on a mission to ensure all newborns have clothes, nappies and a warm blanket – after noticing that some new mothers do not have these basics for their babies.

“I see about two cases a week of mothers who give birth without having these basics immediately available,” said Dr Max Brincat.

“No baby should be disadvantaged from the first few minutes of birth.”

Standing in a delivery suite at Mater Dei Hospital, surrounded by donated baby items, the 32-year-old obstetrician explains that the majority of these mothers are migrant women who may have arrived in Malta hours before giving birth.

There are also a number of Maltese social cases as well as emergency cases involving pregnant women rushed to hospital to give birth unexpectedly.

Most of the women are usually assisted by the Agency for the Welfare of Asylum Seekers (AWAS) or social services agency Appoġġ.

A selection of the donated items to be kept in the delivery ward.

Meeting their basic needs gives them a psychological boost

However, there was a gap between the babies’ birth and the arrival of social services – a gap which Dr Brincat is filling through this initiative that has the backing of Mater Dei Hospital’s management, as well as AWAS and Appoġġ.

He is collecting clothes, blankets, nappies, bottles and other basics for these babies.

They will be organised into “starter packs” and kept in a constantly replenished box in the delivery ward for easy access.

The idea had been brewing for a long time and, last weekend, Dr Brincat decided to start it off after a Somali woman gave birth and had nothing for her baby. He turned to Facebook where his call for donations was widely shared. “I was amazed by how many people want to help,” he said.

Dr Brincat explained that apart from offering support to these mothers and babies, the initiative also offered an opportunity to go green and recycle newborns’ clothes that are only worn for a few weeks. 

Marylyn Agius, an Appoġġ social worker based in hospital, said this was a great initiative.

“These mothers would have gone through so much… they would want to have everything for their baby, but they can’t because of the situation they are in. Meeting their basic needs gives them a psychological boost – they feel supported and not judged,” she said.