Research released in November 2007 by BLISS, the premature baby charity, shows that having a sick or premature baby costs parents an extra £189 per week on average during the time the baby stays in hospital. The average total spend for the parents asked was £1,885. But in some cases the extra cost was over £15,000.

The findings, which come from a survey of 169 parents of premature babies, confirm that the financial strain of having a sick or premature baby can be crippling, and can last for years. This only adds to the stress of an already traumatic experience, and can put enormous pressures on couples and families.

The most signifcant costs were; cost of travel to and from the hospital (all parents spent money on travelling to see their baby and the average weekly cost was £62), paying for food away from home (90% of parents found themselves paying extra for food and the average weekly cost was £24), and lost earnings through having to take time off work (44% of parents lost money this way with the average total loss being £2,457).

Many parents commented on how lucky they were to have support from employers, family and friends. Some mothers reported that their partners were granted extended periods of sick leave by their employers so that they could be with their baby, while others spoke of friends and family helping with transport or lending them money.

60% of parents were able to rely on family or friends to look after their other children whilst they were at the hospital visiting their baby, but of those that couldn't, the average cost of childcare was £552 for the duration of their baby's hospital stay.

Some families were not so lucky, and a number of mothers reported that their partner lost his job because of their circumstances, while in some cases the family home was repossessed or put at risk. Things were particularly hard for families on low income and families where one or both parents were self-employed. Many families commented that they accumulated considerable debt during the time their baby spent in hospital and that they still hadn't 'caught up' some years down the line.  

Even though parking and restaurant discounts are available at some hospitals, families often reported that they didn't find out about this straight away, and that when they did, it was by chance. This meant that they sometimes spent many weeks paying much more than they needed to.

BLISS has published a booklet available from within their information section of their website.  The booklet, Financial help for families, contains practical guidance for parents on the different sources of benefits, other help available and how to get it. There is a special section for families on a low income.  Go to www.bliss.org.uk.  Click here to download the leaflet.