27 Nov Chickenpox: a common viral illness but risky too
Chickenpox is a mild and common childhood illness. However, pregnant women, newborn babies and people with a weakened immune system may also be at risk. Chickenpox is highly contagious to people who have never had chickenpox before, or who have not been vaccinated. You can...
12 Nov My Word!
Speech and language problems needn’t be a life sentence. But early intervention is important, writes Catherine Best. Every parent cherishes their child’s first words. Those meaningful, gabbled sounds that chart their development from passive infant to interacting person. Speech and language define how we engage...
29 Aug From Utter Despair to Overwhelming Joy: The Emotions of Donor Egg IVF
Unlike other tissue donations, if a woman in Australia needs an egg, or wants to donate one, she is largely left to work it out herself through advertising or searching for an ethnically compatible donor through other means. Accessing an egg donor, or becoming one,...
09 Jul Looking At Literacy: Read It Like You Mean It
Reading aloud to young children is akin to going on the stage. It requires a willingness to be theatrical, to sing, to change voices and be animated in your actions and facial expressions says Nan Williamson It is true that the magic of reading lies...
07 May Shock Of The New
Belinda Horton, Past CEO of the Post and Ante Natal Depression Association (PANDA), says honest conversations with expectant mothers and new parents can help them through times of distressing emotional upheaval. Babies are amazing, and becoming a parent is life-changing. So why do we hear...
14 Mar ADHD, My Daughter And Me
The years prior to her child being diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder were lonely and confusing for Michelle Reid. I have a daughter who is turning 13 next month and we are planning a big birthday bash. She is very excited and has a...
04 Feb An Increasing Problem – Obesity in Children
Dr Sam Tormey looks at Australia’s obesity crisis and offers ways for families to keep their weight in check. What sort of world would you wish to await a newborn baby in 2020? Safe? Nuclear-free? Peaceful? How about ‘fattening’? What are parents to make of...
07 Jan Why ‘difference’ is the new normal
The struggle most parents face lies in accepting their children for who they are, and this is often amplified if their child is seen as ‘different’ in some way. The rewards of acceptance however, may be greater than you could imagine. It was only much...