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!

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!

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.

New Year is a time for reflection, so let's pause for a moment and think of those less fortunate than ourselves, and look in particular at UNICEF's international campaigns for children.  UNICEF is a world organisation acting to promote the interests of children and try to improve the world into which they have been born.

UNICEF operates in developed and developing countries across the world, and have different campaigns in each country.  At an international level, they have five areas of focus:-

• Child survival and development: children across the world suffer huge inequality, UNICEF would like all children to be offered access to medicine and basic healthcare, water, nutritious food and adequate sanitation
• Basic education and gender equality: UNICEF state that education is a fundamental human right, they are pushing for rights-based education for girls and boys throughout the world.  A rights-based education will help alleviate deep-rooted inequalities that persist in many societies, both developed and developing
• HIV/AIDS and children: A child dies of AIDS every two minutes, hundreds of thousands of children under the age of 15 need treatment for AIDS, AIDS is preventable and treatable; UNICEF wants to prevent new cases of AIDS, prevent mother-to-child transmission, provide treatment to children suffering AIDS and provide protection, care and support for children orphaned by AIDS
• Child protection: Millions of children throughout the world are subjected to violence, exploitation and abuse, including terrible forms of child labour; UNICEF advocates creating a protective environment, in partnership with national governments, to protect children from the worst abuses as they grow up
• Policy advocacy and partnerships: UNICEF works with policy makers, national governments, lawmakers and the media worldwide, they wish to research issues affecting children and work with policy makers to push for regulatory frameworks to enhance the lives of children across the globe

Let's spare a thought for those growing up in the same world that we grew up in, but in unimaginable circumstances.  Let's support the work of UNICEF and other children's charities in the hope that one day, their ambitious but respectable goals might be reached.  Find out more on UNICEF's international focus areas.

Santa should swap his mince pies and glass of brandy (or rum or wine) for a couple of Rudolf's carrots say public health experts at the British Medical Journal.  He should opt for a bike or even walk and get rid of the sleigh and reindeer!  We are told that the current image of Santa promotes laziness, drink-driving and speeding!

Dr Nathan Grills from Australia, claims that Santa offers a poor role model and should instead be promoting healthy living!  His studies reveal that the persona of Santa is very influential and the most recognisable character in childhood.  Because we suggest he drinks alcoholic beverages, this implies he is a drink driver and that clearly sets a bad example!  Similarly the mince pies are a high fat, high sugar cake product - countries where Santa is popular are also the countries where childhood obesity is greatest.  He adds that there's no seat belt on the sleigh and that Santa promotes fast driving!

Grills dressed-up as Santa to meet some children (lucky kids!) who offered hugs and kisses - even though some had runny noses, coughs and sneezes!  Yes, you've guessed it, he claimed Santa was a source of spreading infection too!

So, what do you make of that?!  I wonder if we should cancel Christmas all together because obviously the spread of germs, childhood obesity and drink-driving is all because of Santa!

Or perhaps we should look at the positive aspects, such as his spirit of geneorosity and impressive work ethhic, and teach our children what to eat, how to behave and a bit about road safely!  We wish Santa, and the festive and cheery Mr Grills from Australia, a MERRY CHRISTMAS!

It's a daunting moment when you arrive home with your first baby for the first time. Your life changes in a BIG way, suddenly everything revolves around your new bundle of joy! Initially you might be nervous and even fearful about the responsibility, and this is a time you need support more than any other time. Your new baby is, to you, the most important thing in the world, but you must not forget yourself! You may find yourself sleep deprived and exhausted for the first few weeks of parenthood, but unless you keep yourself in good health you will only make early parenting more difficult. Make sure that you receive enough food and sleep to keep going; babies are much more resilient than you might at first believe; if you can keep yourself fit, healthy and happy, you are creating a better environment for your baby to grow up in.