AN OXFORD doctor has helped produce the latest children’s book to star the popular characters Biff, Chip and Kipper Robinson.

But the trio’s latest tale is a little unusual – a guide preparing young children for the arrival of a premature brother or sister.

Dr Eleri Adams used her expert knowledge of neonatal care to contribute to the book entitled A New Baby!

Published by Oxford University Press and created by author and illustrator team Rod Hunt and Alex Brychta, it focuses on the arrival of a premature baby.

The book is part of the popular Oxford Reading Tree series used in primary schools and at home to help teach children to read.

Dr Adams, clinical director for Newborn Care Services at the John Radcliffe Hospital, told the Oxford Mail: “It is a lovely little book because it is a very nice, simple story about a slightly premature baby, but told from the point of view of children.

“There are not a lot of books out there that do that.

“I have not seen anything that covers pre-term birth.

“I was asked to make sure it was factually correct and we did make a few corrections.”

The Biff, Chip and Kipper stories began in 1985. In 2000 a TV series was produced by the BBC. There are now more than 300 tales, translated into more than 120 languages.

The latest book is about Kipper’s friend Sam, who is going to become a big brother.

His mum gets rushed into hospital early so the Robinson family help Sam and his little brother Leo get ready for the baby.

Dr Adams advised on a number of technical aspects of the text and illustrations.

She made sure the baby in the story was the correct age to be in an incubator, advised on how an incubator should be used and how to refer to it in simple terms.

Instead of referring to a ‘SCBU’ or ‘Special Care Baby Unit,’ Dr Adams suggested referring to “a nursery for tiny babies which is called Special Care”.

She also described an incubator as a place where the baby was “safe and snug in a special bed which has a cover to keep her nice and warm”.

She added: “About 10 per cent of babies do end up in an incubator for one reason or another.

“So it is something that other siblings are going to experience not infrequently.

“I just thought it was a really good little book, something that we could use and keep on our ward for the younger siblings.”

The mother-of-two added: “It is a nice little book that explains pre-term births from a small child's point of view.”