As a midwife, maternal nurse and child health expert, I’ve fielded many questions from parents over the past 43 years.  These range from concerns about conceiving, pregnancy and labour to parenting. These are some of the most common questions I get asked. Why doesn’t my baby sleep all the time? Parents often think their babies will continue to feed and ...

Have you ever heard of or had heartburn? Have you ever heard of babies with such bad heartburn they cry and cry and cry and cry? These babies are so uncomfortable, miserable and unhappy. The baby’s condition can be very distressing for parents, particularly first time mothers, who think the reason their baby is crying is their fault. Either from ...

Of course, we are all solidly aware of SARS-CoV2 (the virus) and COVID-19 (the disease that it causes); a medical consideration that didn’t exist a couple of years ago. For most of us, COVID-19’s main symptoms are respiratory and, although the virus is sometimes challenging, we usually recover within a few weeks. However, for some, the effects of COVID-19 are ...

We all know that there are many components to the timeline of a pregnancy, with medicinal and nutritional aspects in the pre-conception and gestational stages being very important to the health of a developing baby. But while a lot of the focus is upon the health of the female who is carrying the child, it is just as important that ...

Thrush in babies Oral thrush in babies is a fungal infection that can occur in the throat, tongue or around the mouth. Despite being a concern for parents, thrush in babies mouth is very common during bubs first year of life, and isn’t anything to worry about. What causes thrush in a newborn baby’s mouth? Babies can pick up oral ...

Conception may seem as simple as adding two people together to make another, but the process can be filled with unseen obstacles that make life a lot more difficult for prospective parents. The good news, however, is that these obstacles can be taken care of, or even fully removed, by planning and getting the best medical advice before these issues ...

In recent times, an increase in conditions of poorer vision has been reported in children [1]. While the causes of this increase are still to be completely determined, actions can be taken to help decrease their toll. One such action is dietary in nature – specifically, ensuring that children consume appropriate amounts of lutein daily. Child eye development The eyes ...

Constipation is a common problem and effects 5-30% of children [1]. While baby constipation can cause some discomfort, in most cases it will resolve naturally. How can I tell if my baby is constipated? Just like adults, baby’s bowel movements can differ from one baby to the next. Within the first three months of life, babies can pass anywhere from ...

It seems like everyone these days is after a magic bullet in the form of a common yet delicious food that will cure us of all our health-related problems, prolong life, and make us smarter. Well, I can tell you before you read any further that there isn’t one. At least not one that is capable of reversing years of ...

What causes nappy rash? Nappy rash is caused by wearing a wet or dirty nappy for a prolonged period of time, which causes friction and dampness leading to nappy rash. Ammonia which is a substance released from wee can also irritate the sensitive skin of your baby’s bottom. What does nappy rash look like? The skin on bub’s bottom will ...