HEALTH		A-Z of Health Please view our A-Z of Health section to read up on some common child illnesses...
	Welcome to our health files. We have put together a selection of common health queries and information to help you to understand your child's health. If your particular query isn't included in these files, check our Ask the Doctor previously asked questions, or email your query to our qualified GP, Dr Sarah Brewer.
Please note: if you are worried about any aspect of your child's health, please consult your GP! Your child's health is important and you should not feel that you are wasting the doctor's time. Any opinion expressed does not necessarily reflect our own views, and is provided for your information only.

Cash to tackle childhood obesity The Scottish Government has announced plans to spend a further £6m in the fight against childhood obesity. 14/4/2008   Sleep may cut childhood obesity A good night's sleep may reduce a child's risk of becoming obese, according to a US study. 7/11/2007   Gene 'links breastfeeding to IQ' A single gene influences whether breastfeeding improves a child's intelligence, say London researchers. 7/11/2007   'Clear smoking link' to cot death Almost nine out of ten mothers who lose a baby to cot death smoked while pregnant, say researchers. 7/11/2007   Man donates for grandchild A 72-year-old man has agreed to become a sperm donor for his own "grandchild". 11/10/2007   GPs 'snub' child asthma advice Many children with asthma in the UK are receiving inappropriate treatment, research suggests. 10/9/2007   Cradling to right shows 'stress' Mothers who cradle their baby on the right side of their body could be showing signs of extreme stress. 29/8/2007   Woman admits faking baby illness A woman has admitted faking the illness of a baby girl which led to the child being admitted to hospital for a series of unnecessary operations. 29/8/2007   Fury over child's 'missed' tumour The parents of a four-year-old girl say she could have died after doctors in West Sussex failed to diagnose a brain tumour for three months. 16/8/2007   Middle Class 'child weight risk' The children of wealthier parents, particularly those with working mothers, are more likely to be obese or overweight, a study says. 24/7/2007   Child fear over pylon plan A committee of MPs has concluded there is an "undoubted link" between high voltage cables and childhood leukaemia. 24/7/2007   Breech birth women 'choice call' Pregnant women should be offered an alternative to caesareans if they are facing breech births, experts say. 24/7/2007   Unborn baby survives chemotherapy A baby has surprised the medical world by surviving in his mother's womb while she underwent months of chemotherapy. 24/7/2007   Family sets up organ donor appeal The family of a baby girl who died after a suitable donor for her could not be found said they plan to set up an appeal in her memory. 28/6/2007   Baby tops heart transplant list An 18-month-old girl who has had six heart attacks since she was born has been put at the top of the European heart transplant list. 28/6/2007   Wrong medicine prescribed to baby A mother from Kent claims her baby son could have been caused serious harm after being given the wrong prescription by a hospital doctor. 11/6/2007   Woman's bus adverts for egg donor A 54-year-old woman and her husband are advertising for an egg donor on London buses in a last-ditch attempt to try to have a baby... 6/3/2007   Breastfeeding 'aids class status' Babies who are breastfed are more likely to move up the social ladder as adults, a study has suggested... 6/3/2007   Stress may 'damage child brains' High levels of stress may physically scar a child's brain, a study suggests. 6/3/2007   First UK embryo test babies born The first UK babies have been born after a pioneering embryo test... 15/2/2007   Lack of donors 'fuels IVF tourism' British couples desperate for a baby are travelling abroad for fertility treatment because of a shortage of egg donors in the UK... 15/2/2007   Christmas toys 'are hearing risk' Many toys available this Christmas could damage a child's hearing, the charity Deafness Research UK warns... 6/2/2007   Children need more exercise Children should be exercising for 90 minutes of each day… 12/12/2006   Heart checks for all babies suggested All children should have ECG’s in their first month after birth to check for problems with the heart… 14/11/2006   Whooping cough still widespread Studies suggest that nearly 40% of children who have a persistent cough have symptoms of whooping cough… 25/7/2006   Babies need more ‘tummy time’ Parents are urged to give their babies more time on their tummies to aid development… 17/7/2006   MMR Doctor Faces GMC Charges The doctor who first implied a link between the MMR vaccine and autism is to face charges of serious professional misconduct… 5/7/2006   ADHD Linked to Premature Birth Children born prematurely have an increased risk of ADHD… 15/6/2006   Warning: Children’s TV and Computer Use Children are spending a total of 2½ months every year staring at screens, studies show… 14/6/2006   Wait for jab threatens children’s lives The wait for vaccination against a potentially lethal disease may be too long… 8/6/2006   NHS funding for rare condition Great Ormond Street department receives funding for rare condition... 7/6/2006   IVF Pregnancy Complications A Norwegian study, suggests that IVF may causes a dangerous complication during pregnancy… 2/6/2006   Stress may be good for unborn babies! Moderate stress during pregnancy does not harm, but may actually advance the baby in later life… 30/5/2006   Are working mothers the healthiest women? Working women with stable relationships are said to be the healthiest women in a recent study, suggesting that housewives are more likely to become obese... 25/5/2006   Revolutionary heart operation performed on child A 12-year-old girl is believed to be the first person in the UK to have her donor heart removed and her original heart restarted... 11/5/2006   Parents express uncertainty in fever treatment Recent studies suggest parents are administering incorrect doses of medicine to their children in the attempt to treat fevers... 10/5/2006   High meat diet causes stress for babies Diets that are high in protein and low in carbohydrates should be avoided during pregnancy as research shows that they are likely to cause increased levels of stress in offspring... 28/4/2006   Junk food child ad rules unveiled Plans to curb food advertising aimed at children are being unveiled by Ofcom... 28/4/2006   Research to be conducted into how babies learn A research project, which seeks to find out more about how babies learn and acquire knowledge has been set up... 11/4/2006   Hospital has been cleared over baby death A hospital where a boy died should not be criticised, a coroner has said... 11/4/2006   Pupils 'learn from foetal moves' Children who do daily exercises, mimicking a baby in the womb, have shown dramatic improvements in maths and English, new research suggests... 11/4/2006   Breast milk 'won't halt obesity' Childhood obesity is not related to whether a baby was breastfed in infancy, a US study suggests... 31/3/2006   One in five families in poverty More than one in five households in Wales are living below the poverty line according to UK Government figures... 31/3/2006   Woman loses frozen embryos fight A woman left infertile after cancer treatment cannot use her frozen embryos to have a baby, the European Court of Human Rights has ruled... 29/3/2006   Life of sick baby 'intolerable' A baby at the centre of a landmark case over whether life support can be withdrawn has an "intolerable life", the High Court has heard... 29/3/2006   Midwives call for epidurals fee Women having babies would be asked to pay for epidurals under a proposal from the Royal College of Midwives... 29/3/2006   Prematurity 'affects personality' Being born very premature can affect a child's personality into adulthood, a study has suggested... 29/3/2006   Plastic heart 'saves baby girl' Surgeons saved the life of a critically-ill baby girl using a pioneering mechanical heart to keep her alive until a transplant was found... 29/3/2006   Probe prevents baby brain damage Scientists have devised a probe which can warn if a baby is being deprived of oxygen during birth... 29/3/2006   More training needed on heart disease in pregnancy More doctors must be trained to prevent pregnant mothers with heart disease from dying unnecessarily, experts say... 29/3/2006   'Shaken baby' convictions need re-considering A "small number" of the so-called shaken baby convictions need to be re-considered by the courts, Attorney General Lord Goldsmith has said... 29/3/2006   Fertility drug use booms in China Wealthy couples in China are turning to fertility drugs in growing numbers, with a report suggesting some may be using it to beat the one child policy... 29/3/2006   Baby given MMR jab 'by mistake' A seven-week-old baby has been given the MMR jab by mistake, it has emerged... 29/3/2006   Gasping cells theory of cot death Cot death could be caused by a genetic defect which means babies who stop breathing cannot kick-start their lungs, research suggests... 29/3/2006   Free child dental care 'threat' Dentists in some parts of England are telling parents they will no longer offer free treatment for children... 29/3/2006   Launch of child disability guide A guide aimed at improving the care of children with disabilities has been launched by the government... 29/3/2006   Disorder ruining parents' sleep Many parents of children with a hyperactive disorder get as little as six hours sleep a night, a study says... 29/3/2006   Infants need mental health checks A tenth of two to five-year-olds have a serious psychiatric illness, yet most cases are being missed, warn experts... 29/3/2006   Eye test looks for brain problems A Devon scientist is developing a test to diagnose and monitor brain disorders in children using eye movements... 29/3/2006   Too many drugs 'not child tested' Too many children's drugs have not been properly tested, a report says... 29/3/2006   New child jab for lethal disease The UK childhood vaccination programme is being extended... 29/3/2006   Experts' baby monitoring project Scientists have been carrying out computer research aimed at helping doctors to treat premature babies.... 29/3/2006   'MRSA risk' patients on baby ward Health campaigners want an inquiry after patients thought to be a high MRSA risk were placed in a maternity ward... 29/3/2006   Anxious dads 'raise birth pain' Anxious fathers can make Caesarean operations more painful for mothers, research suggests... 29/3/2006   Law stops mum from breast feeding A woman who says she was stopped by the police after breastfeeding her baby in public is demanding an apology... 29/3/2006   Family balancing choice opposed Parents should not be allowed to choose their baby's sex simply to balance their family, a snapshot survey finds... 29/3/2006   Fertility predictor test launched Women are being offered a new test kit that allows them to predict the rate at which their fertility is declining... 29/3/2006   Drink firms tackle child obesity Global drinks firms, including Coca-Cola and Cadbury Schweppes, have unveiled a European initiative aimed at tackling the problem of obese children... 29/3/2006   Concern at baby care contingency Officials at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary's neonatal unit have defended contingency plans to fly women having premature babies to units as far away as Belfast... 29/3/2006   Checks on IVF parents simplified People seeking fertility treatment will face fewer and faster checks to make sure they will be suitable parents under new guidelines... 29/3/2006   Epilepsy doctor fit to practise A doctor who wrongly diagnosed hundreds of children with epilepsy has been told he can continue to practise medicine... 29/3/2006   New scan 'may save babies' lives' A brain scanner is being developed, which could aid treatment and possibly save the lives of premature and newborn babies... 29/3/2006   Couple's wait over newborn mix-up A couple were forced to endure a five-week wait for DNA results to find out if a newborn baby was theirs... 29/3/2006   Pregnancy risk for cot death mums Women who have a baby who dies from cot death have an increased risk of suffering complications in other pregnancies, scientists have found... 29/3/2006   Slower conception 'leads to boys' The longer a woman takes to get pregnant, the more likely she is to have a boy, scientists suggest. 29/3/2006   Concern over birth unit closures More expectant parents are being denied a choice of where they can have their baby, campaigners have warned... 29/3/2006   Drug risk to mother's descendants Drugs given to a woman at risk of having a premature baby may affect the brains and behaviour of her grandchildren... 29/3/2006   back

Search our extensive archive Eat peas, sweet corn and broccoli for better vision Report Backs Less Able Parents Child growth 'key to heart risk' Ask the Dr - MMR vaccine Parents sue over 'junk food' ads Oily fish makes 'babies brainier' Flu jab considered for under-twos Warnings issued about sleeping on sofas Vitamin D 'makes stronger babies' Cerebral palsy 'infection link' Doctors trained in spotting abuse Polish women offered baby bonus Ask the Dr - Flu Ask the Dr - Asthma Ask the Dr - Ringworm Ask the Dr - Height Ask the Dr - Blister Ask the Dr - Yellow spots Ask the Dr - blood in stool Ask the Dr - Diabetes Ask the Dr - Exclusion times for ringworm Ask the Dr - Removing Ear Wax Ask the Dr - Tonic Neck Ask the Dr - Picky eater Ask the Dr - Eczema Ask the Dr - Pink eyes Ask the Dr - Lisp Ask the Dr - Colic Ask the Dr - Sleep through the night Ask the Dr - Swimming Ask the Dr - Weaning Ask the Dr - thrush Ask the Dr - Not sleeping in Cot Ask the Dr - West Nile Disease Ask the Dr - Feeding Ask the Dr - Leg cramps Ask the Dr - Reflux Ask the Dr - Shy Ask the Dr - Conceiving again Ask the Dr - Worms Ask the Dr - Not sleeping Ask the Dr - Sleeping Ask the Dr - Smelly feet Ask the Dr - Cradle cap Ask the Dr - Shyness Ask the Dr - Global Delay Ask the Dr - Crying Ask the Dr - Ritalin Ask the Dr - Refusing to eat Ask the Dr - Swollen knee joint Ask the Dr - Foreskin infection Ask the Dr - SARS advice Ask the Dr - Flying while pregnant Ask the Dr - Weaning Ask the Dr - Allergies Ask the Dr - New baby Ask the Dr - Suncream Ask the Dr - SARS Ask the Dr - Dribbly Ask the Dr - Headaches Ask the Dr - Wart like spots Ask the Dr - Pulsal virus Ask the Dr - Painful joints Ask the Dr - Low immunity Ask the Dr - slap face syndrom Ask the Dr - clingy child Ask the Dr - vaginal infection Ask the Dr - Rash Ask the Dr - measles Ask the Dr - tip toes Ask the Dr - overweight toddler