Flat Head Syndrome in Babies

If you spend a great deal of time in the presence of babies, you have certainly noticed that it is becoming fairly common to see an infant with a flat spot on the back or side of the head. This phenomenon, known as positional plagiocephaly, or more commonly as flat head syndrome, is caused when babies spend a considerable amount of time with their head resting in the same position, such as when travelling in a car safety seat or Stroller.

Toy Safety for Babies and Children

Play is a vital part of child development and while safer than ever before, as parents we should remain vigilant about hidden hazards posed by toys on store shelves.
So what can we do to keep little ones safe at play? Useful points to consider include what to look for when buying toys, understanding safety marks and labelling, ensure that the right safety checks have been carried out, and considerations when giving and receiving used toys.

Can Mobile Phones Harm Children?

There are currently over 60 million mobile phones being used in the UK and they continue to increase in popularity, as new features become available. Just as you struggle to remember life before TV, it would be unimaginable not to have mobile phones - our children have never known a world without them.

While most studies have found no raised risk of brain tumours, the long-term effects of using a mobile regularly are still not known as they have only been in widespread use since the 1990s.

Getting Your Baby to Sleep

Whoever coined the phrase, "sleep like a baby" must not have been a parent. As all exhausted parents will tell you, babies tend to sleep sporadically, at best. One night, your baby may sleep all the way through, but the next may have you getting up three or four times. After several months, most babies do settle into a predictable sleep pattern, and there are a number of things that parents can do to help their babies get the idea that nighttime is for sleeping.

Health Effects of Pesticides for Children

Asthma

• Researchers found an association between asthma and use of pesticides by male farmers. (Senthilselvan et al, 1992) Although this study involved adults, it raises concerns about children's exposures to pesticides used in the home or residues brought home on parents' clothes or equipment.
  
  

Birth Defects

• The commonly used pesticide, chlorpyrifos (brand name Dursban) caused severe birth defects in four children exposed in utero. Chlorpyrifos is used widely as an agricultural chemical, but is also the most common pesticide used indoors to kill termites, fleas, roaches and in pest control strips. (Sherman, JD. 1996 Chlorpyrifos (Dursban)-associated birth defects: report of four cases. Arch. Env .Health 51(1): 5-8)
  

Oh No Mosquito! Insect Repellent and Children's Health

It’s that time of year again; mosquito season. Now you must ask yourself: suffer the irritating itching left behind after a mosquito has paid you a visit, or slather yourself with a dizzying array of chemicals and concoctions, some of whose health effects are completely unknown? Perhaps you can avoid either alternative. Here are some facts to help you decide…….

With less pesticide use, children would be healthier

Now that winter is finally winding to a close, pesticide season is beginning. It's not just the pesticides the farmers use. It's the pesticides we and our neighbors use on our lawns, our lakes, our pets and ourselves - pesticides that find their way into air we breathe, the food we eat, the water we drink, our homes and us.