As much as 80 per cent of our lifetime exposure to the sun occurs during childhood so it is vital that parents to make sure children are properly protected

Sun exposure and protection is a complex and contradictory area of child health. On the one hand, fresh air and sun are vital for the development of a child.

Sunlight, for example, is an important source of bone-building vitamin D. On the other hand, too much sun in childhood can seriously increase the risk of skin cancer in later life.

With this in mind, it is worrying that recent research published in the British Medical Journal shows that many parents still don’t use sunscreens regularly to protect their kids. Read the rest of this entry »

All babies are born with the ability to suck, however, most of the time a newborn needs to be taught how to breast feed. New mothers often feel discouraged or alone in this adventure. Breast feeding can be frustrating or it can be the most enjoyable experience. Taking the time to learn the proper technique will make both you a baby enjoy the Breast feeding experience.

1. Make sure you are in a comfortable position. If you aren’t comfortable, then the baby won’t be either. Sometimes it helps to sit in a rocking chair or lay sideways on a bed.
   You might also try playing some relaxing music and dimming the lights. Read the rest of this entry »

Spanking is a huge hot-button issue for parents. Many psychologists say that spanking or any other physical discipline harms children and their relationship with their parents. But quite a few parents disagree, and some experts do, too. Lawrence Diller, a behavioral pediatrician in Walnut Creek, Calif., and author of The Last Normal Child, even argues that more parents should consider spanking to speed behavior improvements in young children.

I’m in the no-spanking camp myself, figuring I can’t teach children that hitting is bad if I’m doing it myself. But that doesn’t mean I’ve never given a balky toddler a swat on the fanny. Now that my daughter is in first grade, I wouldn’t dream of smacking her. My challenges come more in trying to figure out how to reward appropriate behavior. Read the rest of this entry »

Before they even enter the world a baby will have begun to form teeth. Very few new borns have visible teeth, but they are still there, hidden by gum. Most often the first sign of exposed teeth comes 6-9 months into life, though this can vary between babies.

A one year old child is likely to have 8 little chompers – some will have more, some less (hey, it is only an average,it does not mean anything!)

Although these are milk teeth (or deciduous teeth) – which means that at some point they will be substituted by adult teeth, this does not mean that these teeth should not be well cared for. In fact it is very important to look after these teeth. Read the rest of this entry »

One of the greatest challenges for any new parent is getting their baby to sleep throughout the night. This is very difficult at first, as the baby has to make a transition from sleeping with his mother to sleeping on his own. Like anything else in life, this isn’t something that happens instantly – it takes time for your child to learn how to do this.

There are some things you can do, however, that will create a better environment for your baby to fall asleep in. While you ultimately can’t control when or how your baby sleeps, you can, in many ways, stack the deck in your favor. Read the rest of this entry »

Child abduction is a growing concern, especially with what we’ve been seeing in the news lately. It’s good to know that there are simple precautions you can take to help safeguard your children.

Here are some suggestions:

Young Children Should

• Never say they are alone if they answer the phone. They can offer to take a message or say their parents will phone back.
• Never answer the door if they are alone.
• Not invite anyone in the house without the permission of a parent or babysitter. Read the rest of this entry »

You might have heard of diabetes. You might even know someone with it. But what exactly is diabetes and how does it affects your life?

The low down…

Your body needs energy to keep going like a car needs petrol. This energy comes from the food you eat. Your body turns the food in to glucose (sugar) and then carries it to all the cells in your blood.

A hormone called insulin is needed for your body to use the glucose properly. Insulin is made in your pancreas. Read the rest of this entry »