BENTON, Ark. (June 6, 2023) – Saline Health System is hosting the Beautiful Beginnings Baby Fair in the Haynes Education Building at Saline Memorial Hospital from 11  a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, June 24, to give families who are expecting or who recently had a child an opportunity to learn from experts and connect with local shops and services.

The baby fair will feature ask-the-expert sessions, a maternity-to-toddler fashion show, food trucks and children’s activities, like face painting. Families that attend will have the opportunity to win prizes through gameshow-style activities and raffles.

“Our community has a lot to offer for growing families,” said Brynn Doddridge, director of the hospital’s Women and Infants department. “We’re excited to get to highlight all the different resources that are available.”

Sarita Hendrix, a doula, will kick off the info-sessions at 11 a.m., and Tanya Smith, certified lactation specialist, will lead a discussion on breastfeeding at 12 p.m. Dr. Jamie Irwin and Dr. Ajitha Yeluru, pediatricians from Saline Pediatric Associates, will share information on newborn care, including car seat safety and safe sleep, at 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. respectively.

At 1 p.m., Doddridge will host a question-and-answer session about pregnancy and childbirth with Dr. Christina Green, Dr. Angela Myles and Dr. James Robb, obstetricians from Saline Women’s Clinic.

“Welcoming a new baby is such an exciting time, but choosing an obstetrician or pediatrician without knowing them can be a bit intimidating,” Robb said. “We are looking forward to the opportunity to get to meet and interact with families in a fun, stress-free environment.”

Local shops, like Evie Brooks Boutique and Oh Honey, will showcase their styles at the fashion show at 1:30 p.m. They will also have tables in the atrium alongside Picture Perfect Imaging, Fit4Moms, Benton HIPPY and more. The hospital will provide light refreshments, but food will also be available for purchase from Tacos 4 Life and Riverside Grocery and Catering food trucks.

Saline Health System, a part of Lifepoint Health, is made up of Saline Memorial Hospital, a 177-bed acute care facility, and Saline Clinics, a network of both primary care and specialty care clinics. The hospital is accredited through The Joint Commission for meeting quality and safety standards, the American College of Cardiology as a Chest Pain Center with Primary PCI, the MBSAQUIP as a bariatric surgery center, Optum in the Bariatric Centers of Excellence network, CARF as a rehabilitation center and the AASM as a sleep center. For more information about Saline Memorial Hospital, please call 501.776.6000 or visit SalineMemorial.org. For more information about Lifepoint Health, visit LifepointHealth.net.