Call the Midwife executive producer and writer Heidi Thomas has said she is "moved" by the viral response to Baby June's episode.
During the third episode of season 14 of the BBC show, viewers watched as a first-time mum gave birth to a baby girl who was later diagnosed with spina bifida.
Following the diagnosis, the parents said they couldn't care for a disabled child. The nuns at Nonnatus House named her June and sent her to live at an orphanage run by the Order.
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Sharing news about the episode in an Instagram post today, the official account for the show revealed that NHS England had reported "a huge surge in website enquiries about spina bifida" after the episode aired.
Speaking about baby June's storyline, which has been praised for tackling ableism, Thomas said: "Everyone at Call the Midwife was very moved to hear that Baby June’s story has provoked such interest. She received her diagnosis of spina bifida in 1970, and although times change, concerns around the condition remain the same.
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She continued: "We often feature challenging and emotional medical issues on the show, and are delighted when our audiences go straight to trusted sources, such as the NHS website, for further information.
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"Our own postbag has been enormous this week, with fans of the show writing in to share their own experience of spina bifida, and thank us for telling June’s story. It is an absolute privilege to be able to educate, entertain and connect with people in this way."
According to the post over 18,000 hits were recorded on the NHS England spina bifida pages following Sunday night's episode.
Professor Simon Kenny, NHS England National Clinical Director for Children and Young People, said of the show's impact: "Storylines in programmes like Call the Midwife are powerful in spreading awareness and helping prevention."
Call the Midwife airs on BBC One and streams on BBC iPlayer.
Read more Call the Midwife news on our dedicated homepage
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Harriet is a freelance news writer specialising in TV and movies at Digital Spy.
A horror enthusiast, she joined Digital Spy after working on her own horror website, reviewing films and focusing largely on feminism in the genre.
In her spare time, Harriet paints and produces mixed-media art. She graduated from the University of Kingston with a BA in fine art, where she specialised in painting. She also has an MA in journalism from Birkbeck University.
