News and features related to Newborn & baby centre

1. Test for newborns could detect serious heart problems
   

   Heart problems (called congenital heart defects) are the most common birth defect in babies born in the UK, and are the cause of more deaths in newborn babies than any other type of birth defect. If picked up early, many heart defects can be repaired during an operation. But if they are not picked u

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2. Do dummies really interfere with breastfeeding?
   

   Breast milk is the best and most appropriate food for new babies, as it includes all the nutrients that babies need, along with antibodies from the mother to protect against disease. In the UK, women are advised to feed their babies only breast milk for the first six months, if possible. However, no

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3. Beware the know-it-alls: Many mums given misleading advice
   

   New mothers are frequently bombarded with old-fashioned and sometimes even dangerous advice from their own families about how to bring up their baby, according to a survey in 2011 by the online parenting support group Netmums. A study of 4,000 first-time mums found that almost two in five (39%) had

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4. Baby sleep: Expert Q&A
   

   Questions about your baby’s sleep needs can really keep a new parent up at night. Should you wake the baby for feeds? How can you help your baby start sleeping through the night?  To find the answers to these questions, we went to paediatrician, Dr Jennifer Shu, co-author of Heading Home with Your N

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5. Changing a baby’s nappy: Expert Q&A
   

   What are the most common mistakes in changing a nappy that mums and dads make? Can the scourge of nappy rash ever be conquered? How can you get a wiggly baby to stay still during changing time? To get answers to these and other common nappy-changing dilemmas, we sat down with Dr Steven Parker, an as

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6. About weaning: When and how to wean
   

   In the past, experts suggested your baby was ready to start weaning if he was waking during the night, demanding extra milk feeds and chewing his fists. But the guidelines have changed. "These are all signs of normal baby development and not necessarily signs your baby is ready to be weaned," says B

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7. Breastfeeding exclusively for six months 'unhelpful'
   

   15th March 2012 - Advising women to breastfeed exclusively for the first six months may be "unhelpful" and too idealistic, according to new research, which says it can leave mothers feeling guilty and struggling to cope. Because of the considerable health benefits to babies and mothers from breastfe

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8. Fashion for swaddling babies causes concern
   

   13th March 2012 - Proponents of tight swaddling say it can help sooth a baby or even help with the symptoms of colic. However, a leading orthopaedic surgeon and the Royal College of Midwives are now warning against it. What are the facts - and what is safe swaddling? Read our FAQs. Swaddling is when

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9. Babies understand the meaning of some words from 6 months
   

   14th February 2012 - When parents  talk to their babies they may find that they understand some of what they are saying from as young as six months, according to a study. Researchers in the US say that at an age when words like 'da-da' and 'ba-ba' may be their only utterances, they may actually comp

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10. Nappy sack safety
    

    7th February 2012 - A campaign which began in Cornwall to raise awareness of the dangers to babies of nappy sacks, is being rolled out nationwide. Most people know to keep plastic bags away from children but fewer are aware of the potentially fatal dangers posed by a nappy sack. Katrina Phillips, ch

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