New research has found that one in ten children will be obese in the next five years - what a staggering statistic!  Research carried out at the University of London studied statistics between 1995 and 2007.   The health survey for England provided the data which takes a sample of UK households.

If the trend continues, then researchers predicted that 1 in 10 boys aged between 2-10 will be obese by 2015, and approximately 1 in 9 girls.  In lower income families the statistic was slightly worse. They said  'these increases will affect the lower social classes to a larger extent'.

The research was published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health - let's hope the predictions don't become reality.  It's so important to get kids up and moving from an early age.

Children who are overweight at a young age risk greater likelihood of health problems in later life, including diabetes and heart disease.  Children who are more active in their first few years are statistically more likely to maintain an active lifestyle when they are older.

There is so much that parents and carers can do and its one area where you don't need to spend much money.  Going to the local play park, setting off on nature walks round your neighbourhood, heading off the woods and climbing on fallen tree trunks, even walking or scooting to school instead of driving.  Enjoy an active lifestyle with your children and they will benefit for years to come.  Premium Members of ToucanLearn can search for 'Physical Development' activities 'Outdoor' and find lots of fun games and activities to do outside, specifically aimed at the capabilities of their children!

Jaundice is a common condition that affects around half of newborn babies, usually coming on about two days after birth.  Premature babies are more susceptible, 75% of premature babies go on to develop jaundice after birth.  Jaundice is caused by too much of a naturally produced serum, bilirubin, in the body.  Bilirubin is created by the body breaking down red blood cells, and is then converted into a form that the body can dispose of as waste by the liver.  However, babies break down significantly more red blood cells than an adult, producing proportionately more bilirubin, and the organs of a newborn baby aren't fully developed.  Their body may produce more bilirubin than their liver can handle.

The symptoms of jaundice are a yellow tinge to the skin and in the whites of the eyes; sometimes presence of jaundice must be confirmed through blood tests.  Historically, and wrongly,  it was believed that people with jaundice saw everything with a yellow tint, giving rise to the notion of having a 'jaundiced view' of things.

Jaundice is usually treated by placing a baby under ultraviolet light.  The eyes must be protected as UV light is harmful to them, but other than that, the treatment is simple, painless and in most cases successful over a two or three day period.  In severe cases, a blood transfusion may be offered.

Jaundice suffered in adults or older children is harmless, but in newborn babies the brain tissues are still forming.  Bilirubin can build up in the grey matter of the brain causing irreversible brain damage (called kernicterus) - this may be unnoticeable but in rare cases the damage can be severe, leading to loss of hearing, delayed development and learning difficulties.

Late onset jaundice can arise several days after birth and is more common in breast fed babies.  Late onset jaundice usually clears up on its own without treatment, but look out for the yellowing signs and raise it with your doctor or health visitor if you suspect that your newborn might be suffering from jaundice.

If you live in England or Wales, you have access to fantastic medical resources in NHS Direct and NHS Direct Wales - particularly useful for families with new babies and are uncertain as to whether a cough, splutter or wheeze is normal or the sign of an important medical condition!

NHS Direct was announced in 1997, and rolled out between 1998 and 2000, giving faster access to direct medical advice.  Most enquiries are made by telephone (0845 4647), calls are switched to dedicatedcall centres staffed by trained medical staff.  They will ask questions relating to the symptoms, and then advise on what action you should take.  They will advise whether you should make an appointment with your doctor; if they perceive there to be a serious risk, they might advice you to seek urgent medical attention in a hospital or even to dial the emergency services.

The NHS Direct website contains a lot of valuable health advice and information, as well as a symptom checker to help you to diagnose your symptoms online.

Scotland is served by NHS 24 and Wales by NHS Direct Wales, Northern Ireland has its own NHS service but doesn't appear to offer a similar direct telephone service.

NHS Direct will give you immediate assistance and will funnel you to the correct service.  Given that most of us don't have medical training, it is reassuring to know that help in assessing any medical situation is just a phone call away.

It's always alarming when your baby is unwell, especially if they are really tiny, but what signs should you look out for to determine whether calling the doctor is the right course of action?

Every baby is different and responds differently. For brand new parents it hard to know what is normal and what is not... here are some signs to look out for which might indicate you baby needs medical help. But remember, a baby's state can deteriorate quickly, so if you are concerned in any way, don't hang around, call for medical advice immediately if your baby or child...

• Is unresponsive: you know what they are normally like, so if they seem unresponsive to a favourite game or toy then they may be ill.
• Has a persistent high temperature: if they seem warm and the temperature won't reduce despite cooling them.
• Refuses feeds: if your baby is still feeding and refuses one feed and then refuses a second feed.
• Vomits: if they vomit up their feed twice in a row or the vomit seems discoloured in any way (ie is greenish or has blood in it).
• Has diarrhoea; if it is blood stained or persistent.
• Shows signs of lethargy: very tired all the time and weary.
• Has a rash: any kind of rash.
• Is irritable or restless: if they won't settle or relax or sleep.
• Has breathing difficulty: if they are struggling to breathe or are breathing in an unusual way.
• Is coughing: unusual or painful coughing
• Has a bulging fontanelle: if there is a bulge at the forehead.

You know your baby best.  If in doubt, call the doctor or NHS Direct!

Everyone is telling us how important it is to eat five portions of fruit or vegetables a day, but it's not always easy, especially if you have a fussy eater dining with you!  So, here are a few tips to increase your kids to eat more fruit and vegetables.

1. Sprinkle raisins, dried berries or banana on your cereal.  Get your little one to help!
2. Get your children to help choose the fruit for the fruit bowl. Talk about the different colours and then arrange them together.  Keep the bowl somewhere you can all see them.
3. Tinned fruit is handy.  Throw a tin of tomatoes into your shepherd's pie or some sweetcorn in your chicken casserole.
4. Make a meal of it!  Invite friends from nursery to eat with you and your children.  Set it up like a restaurant and make eating a fun, social event.
5. Puree some vegetables and make it into a sauce for pasta.
6. If your children need a snack, cut grapes, cucumber, apple, peppers etc and encourage them to nibble on those.  You can then let them eat vegetable sticks if they are spending some time watching the TV.
7. Make it look nice.  Cut banana into slices and arrange like a flower on a plate.  Make peppers into a star.
8. Pick your own.  In the right season, go out and pick you own vegetables.  Or, grow your own!  Pulling up a carrot or picking a courgette is great fun!
9. Get your little one to cook with you... chop with a blunt knife, stir etc.

Make it fun and tasty because its really worth it in the long run.  Eating plenty of fruit and vegetables is important to maintain a healthy weight, to get all the minerals and vitamins you need.  Plus it can help reduce cancers and heart disease.   And vegetables taste good!

A baby's cry can go on and on - it can be loud and so relentless and sometimes no matter what you do it seems it will never stop.  However, we must remember that a baby's cry is a useful tool as a means to communicate.  During the first few weeks a baby is completely helpless and has only one way to let you know he or she is not happy... and that is to cry!

Babies cry on average about 1 - 2 hours a day and we must realise that it is completely normal!  If your baby is crying much more than this then perhaps you should seek expert advice, but for the most part it is okay!  What makes it hard is when a crying baby cannot be comforted.  No amount of cuddles, food, songs, rocking or pushing round in a buggy will make the crying stop.  This is when it get stressful and difficult to cope with.

In order to stop the crying, we need to ascertain why it started int he first place... so here are a few reasons why babies cry.

Baby is hungry. Yesterday they were happy with small feeds, today they want more!  So, in the first instance offer more milk.  Their feeding needs fluctuate and growth spurts can catch you off guard.  During a sudden growth spurt, feeding will often be more frequent.

Baby needs a cuddle. Perhaps baby is unsettled and hasn't had a cuddle for a while.  Give a lovely warm cuddle and hold him for a while.

Wind. Perhaps he has some trapped wind which is making him uncomfortable.  Try and burp him.

Dirty nappy. Perhaps she needs a change.  Some babies don't even notice a dirty nappy.  Others do.  Sometimes just the activity of changing a nappy can distract a baby and stop the crying.

Temperature. He may be too hot or too cold.  If he is warm and rosy, he may be overheating, so remove a layer.  If he is pale and has cold feet, then put another layer on and make his warmer.  The ideal temperature for a baby is around 20 degrees Centigrade.

Too much going on. A loud noise, a bright light, a police car siren, these unusual disturbances can unsettle a baby.

Bored. Even babies need a bit of stimulation.  A teddy, a mobile, a ball in the cot or some nice music may soothe and entertain a new baby.

Unsettled. Perhaps your baby is facing a new situation that they are not used to?  The first sessions with a new childminder and away from Mummy, or any other environment that is new could cause uncertainty and distress. Ease your baby gently into new situations.

If the crying seems unusually pitched or doesn't stop, then do seek medical advice - you recognise your own baby's cry better than anyone else and are best positioned to notice any abnormality.

So many people seem to have allergies, but what should the untrained person look out for, especially those caring for other people's children?  If you suspect that a child in your care is suffering an allergic reaction, then it is imperative to seek medical advice urgently.

Allergic reactions might be brought on by pollen, dust, pets or in reaction to many other things.  Some foods are well known to being more prone to triggering allergic reactions than others, but almost any food could trigger a reaction.  Here are some of the more common foods that trigger allergies:-

Milk and dairy derivatives - take care with all food containing milk including cream, yogurt, cheese, butter, milk desserts

Nuts - even though many allergies refer to one type of nut, avoid all nuts including all nut products such as marzipan and check all food because they may contain nuts.  Cakes, biscuits, bread, ice-cream can all have nuts in them.

Peanuts - not technically nuts but legumes, these are found in so many products - rigorous checking must take place before eating if you are awatr of peanut allergies, nearly all processed foods warn that they may contain nuts.

Lupin seeds - can cause an allergic reaction and they can be found in bread, pies, pastries, cakes and batter.

Fish - fish cakes, fish pate, fish sauces all have fish in them, plus many dressings and pizzas.

Shellfish - avoid all types of shellfish and fish pies that might contain shell fish in them.

Mustard - this can cause an allergic reaction.  Mustard powder, seeds, oil should not be eaten by sufferers - anything from a mustard plant.

Eggs - being allergic to eggs means no cakes, sauces, pasta, quiches and some meaty products such as burgers.  Also, many pies and desserts can be brushed with eggs or contain egg.

Gluten - wheat, rye, barley and all cereals should be avoided.  Food made from these products such as pasta, cakes and many sausages and burgers should also be omitted from the diet.  Sauces and soups that have been thickened with flour products can not be eaten either.

Soya - tofu, soya flour and soya protein must be avoided.  It can be found in desserts, pastries and many processed vegetarian foods.

Sesame seeds - all sesame seed oil and the seeds themselves should be avoided.  The seeds are often found in bread, sauces, biscuits, dressings, houmous.

Celery - all parts of the plant should be avoided and can be found in soups, stews and salads.

The use of the internet and computers in schools is becoming increasingly important for learning, research and having fun, but how can we ensure appropriate, and safe use of such a phenomenal resource? ICT is covered in the Early Years Foundation Stage Areas of Learning and Development, so it is recognised that little ones of reception or pre-school age should be introduced to the computer.

The first thing is to do is chat with your child about the internet and what it can be used for. Show them your emails, show them how to type keys and letters on screen.

Try a bit of 'art' with a drawing package, make it fun and simple.

Talk about the internet and what can be found there. Look up a favourite character together, or a local landmark you have been to or a map of your home area. Keep it simple and fun!

As they become more confident and begin to work independently, just be there to guide and help them practice their skills, learn about the keyboard and navigate the child-friendly sites that exist.

Place the computer somewhere central so you can keep an eye on how things are looking. Don't put computers in the bedroom if you can help it. Make it a family event when you do some online games or learning together as a family. Talk about what you are doing on line and make it easy for the children to flag up a problem if they encounter something.

The internet is a fabulous resource, but be aware of the potential dangers of allowing little children too much access.

Dolls and Teddies all over the country are being called upon to help little ones get through the discomfort and soreness of having jabs!  Its a great way to prepare your toddler or pre-schooler for having dreaded injections and it really can help!  Role play can make a trip to the doctor more familiar, prepare even the littlest children for injections and prevent them being too traumatised about it.

All you need is lots of willing dollies and stuffed toys, some old bandages and a doctor or nurses outfit if you have one.  Show your little one how to wrap up poorly arms and legs with bandages.  Use real cotton wool and plasters if you can spare some.  This makes them feel more grown up and makes the items more familiar for when they go into the doctor's surgery for their own injection.

Make sure you pretend to settle the dolls, calm them and say nice things to them... get your toddler doing the same.  If you have a doctor's set, get that out too and play with all the bits and pieces. When you're finished, don't forget to award the patients some stickers for being so good!

If your child is a bit older or understands more, explain an injection by saying its medicine to stop them from being poorly.  Tell them all children must have the medicine and it shows how grown-up they're getting. Have a few chocolate buttons ready - tell them they're going to get them if they're brave - and make sure you don't forget to hand them over immediately after the jab.

It is important to prepare them.  After all, even toddlers understand so much, but make sure there are plenty of cuddles and kind words when its over... and not forgetting the all important chocolate buttons for you both!

You are more likely to contract food poisoning in your own home than from a restaurant,  that's slightly surprising, but it's true because there are so many ways that bacteria can contaminate food that we are about to eat.  It's vital to store food properly.  Here are some pointers and some reasons why!

• Raw meat should be stored separately to food that's ready to eat (cheese, salad, fruit).  You don't need a separate fridge, but you do need to keep them apart.  Keep raw met at the bottom of the fridge.
• Make sure all foods are covered.
• If you are defrosting raw food, make sure none of the water or defrosted liquid gets onto any of the other foods. Why? Because there are bacteria on raw foods that could contaminate foods you are about to eat.
• Always use a clean copping board and knife when cutting raw food and cooked food. Why?  Bacteria can even spread from the knife or chopping board onto other foods.
• Wash all fruit and vegetables before you eat them. Why?  Because they may have harmful bacteria on them and if you don't wash them you'll eat them too!

What's the difference between 'sell by', 'use by' and 'best before' dates?

Sell by - this is the date by which the shop need to sell the goods.  There may well be a few days after this date that the food will be fine to eat.

Use by - this is the date by which the food must have been consumed - or throw it away!  If you were a restaurant and you served food after the "use by" date it would be against the law.

Best before - this is all about quality.  The food would be fine to eat after the sell by date, but it will be past its best.

Other things to remember:

1. Keep pets away from food preparation areas.
2. Keep equipment in good condition and replace splitting wooden spoons, cracked chopping boards etc.
3. Steralise surfaces and equipment periodically.
4. Keep you kitchen clean and sweep the floor often to prevent pests.
5. Keep raw food covered in the fridge and when getting ready to cook.

Food hygiene is especially important if you have children in your home, both to practice and to teach them about so that they grow up understanding how to prepare food safely.

Research has found that babies put into incubators when first born are less likely to develop depression as adults - something known as the incubator effect!

The findings suggest that babies put into an incubator when they are born are three times less likely to develop anxiety or depression in later life.  The results surprised the researchers, who expected to find that infants taken away from their mother so early, and placed in the incubator for long periods of time, would be more inclined to feel anxious and experience mental health problems when adults.   Separation at birth has always been considered a major contributing factor to behavioural problems in adolescence and adulthood.

The long term study took  a sample of 1,200 children, in Quebec, from 1986 through to 2006.  Full results were published in the medical journal, Psychiatric Research.  It may be due to the incubator having an impact on brain cell development or perhaps that poorly babies were given more close attention and care.

Interesting findings!

New, and slightly worrying research, suggests that having a healthy diet containinging plenty of fibre has a detrimental effect on your chances of having a baby. This is something women trying for a baby will be horrified to hear.

Wholemeal bread, brown pasta and brown rice when eaten in large quantities seem to effect the hormone levels of women and therefore may impact on fertility levels.  The more wholemeal food women ate, the lower the levels of vital hormones that influence the reproduction process.

The research was carried out in America, using a sample of 250 women of childbearing age, over a two year period.  They made two important discoveries when looking at the women and their fibre intake:

• Hormone levels were less in those with a high fibre diet
• There was an increase in something called anovulation (which is when a women goes through her menstrual cycle but her ovaries fail to release an egg)

Anovulation is known to occur when hormone levels drop due to anxiety, stress or extreme exercise.

This is the first time that a healthy diet has been deemed to impact on a person in a negative way.  Serious claims!

Doctors are being advised to take parent's fears seriously when it comes to sick children. A parent's instinct is to be considered and taken into account when diagnosing a sick child. The idea that "Mother knows best" may be laughed at by some professionals, but parents can offer important information when discussing their child and doctors should listen, according to research published in The Lancet.

Why should doctors listen to untrained, non-medical parents?

• A parent can be trusted to want the best for the child so are more likely to convey a concern if they think it's important.
• They have probably nursed their child before through other ailments.
• They know the child's 'normal' character and can tell when something is not right.

Previously a parent's view was not officially (or routinely) taken into account, but things may change and guidelines my encourage doctors to listen more to the parent; especially when it comes to serious childhood diseases.

Doctors themselves sometimes use 'gut feeling' for some diagnoses. Rapid detection of serious diseases (such as meningitis and pneumonia) can be vital and quick diagnoses can mean saving a life. If a parent's instinct says its serious, this could help get the child rushed into hospital for medical treatment.

Keep an eye out for:

• Rapid breathing
• High temperature
• Poor blood circulation to the skin especially on fingers and toes
• Lethargy and tiredness

If you feel you're not being heard by your doctor and that your concerns are not being taken seriously - GET A SECOND OPINION!

We are all so conscious of dangers when we take children out: cars on the road, tripping on pavements, falling from a swing.  However there are 400 children admitted to hospital every WEEK with injuries following accidents in the home.  This is a staggering number - especially when this is just those under the age of five!

What we have to remember is that children and toddlers and babies are constantly growing and experimenting and exploring.  The way they learn is to watch and copy us.  So, we need only take a look through their eyes to see what they might see and then we'll realise how accidents - that are totally avoidable - can happen.  And, we'll see how easy it is to prevent those accidents taking place.

Tablets and pills - many toddlers can take off the child-resistant caps on bottles of pills. The child-resistant caps make it more difficult to open, but are not impenetrable for a child.  A simple adult painkiller could poison a child.  They see you take a few, and it helps your headache.  If they get hold of them, they take a few and it could be disastrous.  Toddlers may think they are sweets, that they taste nice, that Daddy has them so why shouldn't I, that they make them grow strong.  So, keep bottles of pills well out of reach. 

Lighters and matches - children can ignite lighters by accident and can cause a match to inflame by just playing with them  They don't realise the danger they could cause.  There are 6,000 house fires every year caused by children under ten!  When they look at a match or lighter, children see the flash of light, the spark, it's like magic.  Keep the matches and lighters out of reach.

Stairs - About 800 under fives are taken to hospital each WEEK having fallen down stairs.  They develop the climbing skills need to get up stairs very quickly... almost without you noticing they could suddenly be able to get up a few steps. It can be dreadfully dangerous if they fall down.  Kids think its fun to go up, it's a challenge and everyone else does it so why shouldn't I?  Well, if they do they might fall and hurt themselves, get a stair gate and remember to use it!

Knives and utensils in the kitchen - It's so easy to forget that little ones can one day reach kitchen surfaces.    Make sure all knives, and heavy utensils are well back just in case they reach up and something comes crashing down.

Hot Drinks - tea and coffee can scald and burn a baby's skin.  Don't put hot drinks on low tables or on unstable surfaces.  Tea and coffee is made with boiling water and stays hot for a long time.  If they they go to try your tea without you seeing, and pour it over themselves by accident - it could scar your child for life!

It's not all gloom and doom!  But being very aware of potential dangers is vital in order for you and your child to have a relaxed home!  If you make just a few changes to the way you do things and if you just keep one step ahead if you can... you'll be okay!

A few final tips:

1. Fit a smoke alarm and TEST it frequently.
2. Keep all medicines, cleaning fluids in a locked cupboard out of a child's reach.
3. Fit stair gates and safety guards round fires.
4. Keep hot drinks on tables that are out of reach.  Don't drink hot tea with your baby in your arms.
5. Keep saucepan handles, electric flexes etc well out of reach.

Research has found that people are more likely to wash their hands after going to the toilet, if they think that someone else is watching them - if no one is looking, they'll not bother!  The research was carried out by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.  They set up sensors in toilets and were able to study the behaviour of 250,000 people.  They found that less than one third of men washed with hands with soap but nearly two thirds of women did.

Why bother washing your hands? As you go through the day touching surfaces and objects, germs accumulate on your hands.  You can infect yourself by touching your own eyes, nose or mouth.  Washing your hands with soap can minimise the spread of bacteria.

When to wash your hands:

1. Before preparing food.
2. Before eating.
3. Before and after treating wounds or giving medicine. A
4. After using the toilet.
5. After changing a baby's diaper/nappy.
6. After touching animals.
7. After emptying the rubbish or touching  something that could be contaminated like muddy shoes.
8. PLUS, wash them whenever they look dirty!

Here are the steps required to give them a thorough wash and reduce risk of infection from bacteria:-

1. Wet hands with running water.
2. Apply anti-bacterial  liquid soap.
3. Lather and rub hands for 15 seconds.
4. Rinse and dry well.

Encourage little ones to wash frequently too.  Show them what to do and lead by example by always washing your hands too!  It will become second nature and you could be doing them a huge favour when it comes to avoiding contagious illnesses!