Blog

Eczema is the name given to a wide range of non-infectious skin conditions that can affect people of any age. Although the appearance of the skin can vary according to the severity, it is generally itchy and dry. In severe forms of eczema the skin can crack and bleed. If you think your child may have eczema take her to the doctor for her condition to be diagnosed, so it can be treated effectively.

Food gives us the energy needed to carry out daily tasks, and, for toddlers, the energy needed to grow. This growing process requires a lot of fuel, so you may be surprised how much food your child consumes. The best measure of how much food a child needs is their appetite. They may appear very hungry one day and less so the next; their appetite is variable at this stage. Provided you offer a well-balanced, healthy diet, and pay attention to your child's response of 'hungry' and 'full' you can be pretty sure they are eating enough.

Eating well and keeping healthy will give your baby the best start in life. A healthy diet during pregnancy is very recommended - eating for two does not mean tucking into double portions, however now is not the time for crunch calorie cutting. Follow our guide and you'll be blooming.

Creating a little bedroom for your baby is definitely one of the more exciting parts of pregnancy and we'll help you to prepare and advise you on what you might need to create the perfect sanctuary for your newborn. We're just as excited as you...

Dyslexia is a learning difficulty where people have problems acquiring literacy skills. It is possible that if your child has difficulty in speaking, listening, reading, writing or spelling, that they may be dyslexic. Dyslexic children will benefit from a different approach to learning and, generally, the sooner it is recognized, the sooner your family and your child's teachers can start to give support.

By the time your child is 3 years she will have developed a lively imagination as well as the ability to distinguish between the past, the present and the future. This new capacity to consider 'what-if' situations will provide her with a great deal of pleasure, but can also bring extra worries. 'What if there's a witch under the bed?'; 'When is mummy going to die?'; 'Will Suzie bite me at playgroup?' are the kinds of questions you can expect to hear regularly from your three, four or five-year-old.

Probably the biggest gulf that exists between the theory and practice of any 'profession' is that of parenting. Yes, I'd expected sleepless nights, crying and the rest, but I'd never experienced them before and when it happened, they came as a huge shock.

For most people, the overriding emotion felt when they find out that they are going to become a parent is happiness. However, along with this happiness come a number of other emotions. Even if the pregnancy has been long awaited for, you are likely to feel anxious and uncertain about the future. Your body, lifestyle, home and work life and relationships are all going to change after the birth of your baby.

Newborn babies spend a lot of their time sleeping, but once they start being a bit more alert, you'll be eager to get to know them better, play simple games with them and introduce them to some toys. Play comes naturally to babies and children, but you can make it even more enjoyable by encouraging your baby to play with a variety of toys and giving out heaps of praise when they learn new things.

Nothing – but nothing – can prepare you for the mind-blowing impact of having a baby. Your nether regions will be very sore, your breasts will be tender, huge and unfamiliar, and you're likely to be hormonal. The next few weeks will be a strange, dreamlike twilight zone, where night and day merge into one, and you wander around in an exhausted but (hopefully) euphoric haze. You'll never know tiredness like this again, but there will be days when you'll be so bursting with love for your baby, you'll cry.

Every child must travel in the appropriate child restraint until that child reaches either 135cm in height or 12 years old, after which they are eligible to use just an adult seat belt.

When your children have children of their own you enter an exciting new stage in your life. Ideally, there should be a subtle change from a child/adult relationship to one of adults supporting one another. But it's not always this easy.

All babies are invited for a check up at about 6-8 weeks of age. This may be done by your GP at the same time as your post-natal examination, or in a clinic by another doctor who is trained in child-health promotion. If you do not receive an appointment, check with your GP practice or health visitor.

It makes sense to get your child used to numbers and letters from an early age. That way, once she starts school she'll feel confident about reading and counting in front of the class. You will find that during everyday activities you naturally talk, sing, count and introduce letters and numbers to your toddler.

It's a good idea to get yourself prepared for the first days at home with your baby, as it will make adapting to life as a parent less stressful and give you more time to enjoy the new arrival. Bear in mind that some babies arrive early, so don't leave everything to the last minute.

Almost all babies get bouts of red, sore skin in the nappy area at some time. It can make your baby uncomfortable and they may even cry more than usual. But don't worry, some simple steps can soon sort out the problem. And you are not alone - it is estimated that about one in three babies suffer from nappy rash at any given time

The purpose of a baby shower is to 'shower' the mother-to-be with advice, support and gifts.

Most babies love bathtime – it may be because it's a similar feeling to being in the womb, or just that babies love having time without their nappies on, but it's probably a combination of both with the added pleasure of mummy, daddy or a grandparent splashing and laughing with them.