Johnson's Baby Is Funding Vital Sensory Training for Ireland's Most Vulnerable Newborns

There’s something quietly powerful about a brand that uses its position to do something genuinely good. Johnson’s® Baby, a name that has been part of Irish family bathrooms for generations, is continuing its partnership with Children’s Health Foundation to fund specialist sensory care training for healthcare professionals working in neonatal units at Children’s Health Ireland (CHI) hospitals.

This year’s Johnson’s® Baby Helping Hands Initiative is funding evidence-based training for 20 staff members through the Sensory Beginnings Course, a programme designed specifically to equip neonatal teams with the skills to provide sensory-informed care for the tiniest, most vulnerable babies in their care. That training will serve an estimated 400 babies per year across CHI Crumlin and Temple Street.

Why this kind of care matters so much

Many of the babies admitted to CHI’s neonatal departments are born prematurely or with complex medical conditions, often requiring prolonged hospital stays from the very first days of their lives. It’s a situation no parent ever wants to face, and the support of a skilled, compassionate team can make an enormous difference, not just to the baby’s development but to the whole family.

The Sensory Beginnings training is designed to help staff understand, interpret and respond to each individual baby’s sensory cues. The training spans a multidisciplinary team including occupational therapists, physiotherapists and nurses, and is built around delivering care that reduces stress, supports brain development and promotes bonding between babies and their parents.

Head of Fundraising Jessica O’Leary at Children’s Health Foundation said: “We are delighted to continue our partnership with Johnson’s® Baby delivering another powerful and practical initiative. This specialist training will allow our team to hone their skills in understanding, interpreting and responding to each baby’s sensory cues, allowing staff to provide truly individualised neurodevelopmentally supportive care.”

She added that the learning will also be shared across CHI teams, meaning the long-term benefit will reach far beyond the initial 20 staff trained.

Six years of giving a helping hand

This isn’t a one-off gesture. Over the last six years, Johnson’s® Baby has been funding a range of meaningful initiatives through Children’s Health Foundation, including The Cubbie sensory hub at Crumlin, the Little Journeys App launched with Temple Street, and contributions towards life-saving equipment across CHI sites. It’s the kind of sustained, practical commitment that actually moves the needle for families going through the hardest of times.

Niamh Sugrue, Brand Manager for Johnson’s® Baby, said: “We are thrilled to be able to continue our association with Children’s Health Foundation and to be able to provide funding for practical support. This project will help to improve individualised care for some of Ireland’s youngest and most vulnerable citizens, provide vital support for their families, and bring real benefits to the neonatal staff in CHI Crumlin and Tallaght.”

How you can help simply by doing the weekly shop

Here’s the part that makes this especially easy to get behind. The Johnson’s® Baby Helping Hands for Sensory Care initiative is currently running in Tesco stores across Ireland until 15th June 2026, and for every bottle of Johnson’s® Baby sold (excluding cotton pads and buds), €0.25 is donated to Children’s Health Foundation.

So if you’re already reaching for the Johnson’s® Baby shampoo or that trusty 3-in-1 wash at the checkout, you’re already part of it.

A gentle 3-in-1 wash for baby’s delicate skin, head to toe.

Johnson’s Baby Shampoo keeps bath time gentle and tear-free.

Johnson’s® Baby is Ireland’s No.1 baby toiletries brand and has been for good reason. Backed by over 130 years of science and baby-led research, the range is formulated to be gentle for delicate skin, dermatologist tested and free from parabens and dyes. The classics, the shampoo, the wash, the lotion, have become staples in Irish homes not because of clever marketing but because they simply work, bath time after bath time, year after year.

It’s a rare thing when a shopping trolley staple can do a bit of good at the same time. The Children’s Health Foundation supports sick children and their families across CHI hospitals in Crumlin, Temple Street, Tallaght and Connolly, funding everything from life-saving equipment to ground-breaking paediatric research. Every little bit counts.