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my baby- 8 weeks has mild reflux. she gets such an upset tummy that she has become a very fussy eater, not wanting food till she's absolutly starving. she vomits up breast milk, but not always formula. i add infant gaviscon to her breast feeds (to thicken them up?)but she gets constipated. and am using gripe water but not sure if it work against the gaviscon or is bad for a reflux baby.
early on, i went to the hospital and they gave me domperidone & ranitidine, which i took her off, because i felt she was worse and without a pead to talk to (still waiting on an outpatient app.) felt i was out of my depths.
so my question is: what is your opinion of the following medicatons, working alone or in conjunction with one another - gaviscon - gripe water - domperidone & ranitidine
Am I being a bit thick here ? The man was a GP so how come 90% of the questions were nutrition related ?! Wouldn't a paediatric nutritionist/dietician been a better person to ask ?
He was a bit vague on the medical stuff. Obviously I realise that he can't give full consultations on the interweb but it seemed to me to be a bit of a flop.
Thank you for asking your question, but please try never to be frightened to ask your doctor anything, he/she probably knows about your health best of all.
Many women successfully have many children. Even though with increasing age and more childen (certainly more than 5 previous deliveries) the risk of problems may increase other factors play a role too, how fit someone is, their age, existing medical conditions etc.
If you're considering having a sixth child have a chat with someone you feel comfortable with - your GP, another doctor in the practice, or a local midwife, for instance. Then with all the information you can weigh up the pros and cons.
I'm going to ask you a question I feel too silly to put to my Gp:
As a mum of 5, I am wondering if you feel that after a certain number of births, eg 5 , would a subsequent pregnancy push a woman's body too far and risk some kind of long term damage? (I'm purely referring to a normal, uncomplicated pregnancy and birth)
Or are womens bodies gererally designed to successfully sustain numerous pregnancies?
Dr Rob. Welcome and thank you for taking the time to helps us desparate women. I would like to know why there seems to be such a huge difference in the maternity care across this country. There seems to be a big gap between the trusts who offer the standard tests/scans andd those which do not. I am currently expecting my third child following two miscarriages in the past 12 months. There are lots of us here who are at the same stage in our pregnancies but we are all getting completely diffent care. Some women do not get to see a midwife until they are 25 weeks! Is this right and should we be getting a better service from our NHS trusts?
What is the real scoop on vaccinations? I mean, not teh DOH and NICe party line, but what do real GPs think (apart from the money they get for doing it) ?
A child in America was just awarded money for her autism from the vaccine damage fund, with the US government basically admitting that in her case, vaccines triggered autism.
I've got a copy of Halvorsen's book on vaccines and find it enlightening, but still not sure what to do with the information.
In my family, my husband is high functioning autistic, and so is my 4 year old daughter. Who has never had a vaccine in her life - therefore no thimerosal to trigger it. But i'm pregnant again and wondering what i should do re vaccines, for both of them.
Hi Dr Rob, I was wondering about OCD. My family has a bit of a trait and it was only recently that we discovered that my dad, brother and I share the same number fixation. We also have the hoarding, can't throw anything out part as well. I'm really worried that my children will get it too and I've noticed my 9.5 yo son has started to screw his nose up, kind of like a tic. I've asked him about it and he told me his nose felt clogged up, but he seems to do it all the time, even when he hasn't got a blocked, runny or dirty nose. It bugs the hell out of me, but that aside, I'm worried he'll be picked on at school because of it. He's a very sensitive child. He has also talked about not wanting to grow up-he's scared and wants to die. The thing is, I remember having those feelings myself at about 10 years. I didn't tell anyone though, and managed to get through it. I'm really afraid that he will take it further, but I don't really want to approach my GP. Any advice please?
Dr Rob, When would you recommend professional help to a fussy eater? How long can fussy eating carry on for (mine son's has been going for 13 months). I know he is healthy and growing fine. Do they miraculously start eating other foods? Will telling myself that by the age of 16 he would not be living off toast and cereals suffice?
I’m going to cheat a little hear and point you to:
http://www.eatwell.gov.uk/agesandstages/children
I’m a supporter of a balanced diet with lots of variety, especially fruit and vegetables. I also believe that omega-3 is very important and encourage oily fish in the diet, and also think considering a supplement is a good idea. Three portions of dairy a day will provide the recommended daily intake of calcium that’s needed for strong and healthy bones. Most bone strength is achieved by the age of 18 for girls and 20 for boys, and we need to get calcium from our diet so it’s very important that children get enough from early on.
Yes, doctors routinely suggest moisturising because this helps stop the skin becoming dry, itchy and consequently scratched, but it’s not easy “creaming” children, something I only discovered when becoming a Dad – forget going out for a run – I get all the exercise I need chasing my daughter around the house, trying to “cream” her!! My book, “Beat your allergies” published by Infinite Ideas covers this and a few tips that I’ve found helps in successfully getting moisturiser into the skin rather than the walls, floor, etc (!). Make it a game for your child, a special game – handful of cream for mummy/daddy, handful for your daughter, and see who can rub it in the quickest – basically make up games so it becomes fun rather than a chore. I’ve found that leaving the cream out in a plastic dish so it warms up a little helps as my daughter complained that the cream was cold, I checked, and she was absolutely right!
If she’s flaring up at 11pm, try and pinpoint what might be triggering this. Is she scratching whilst asleep in which case wearing cotton mits at night can help. Wearing cotton pyjamas and having cotton bed linen is gentler on the skin. Could a comfort blanket or cuddly toy that she takes to bed be triggering a reaction? Is she having a specific food a few hours before bed-time that could be responsible, some children with eczema have symptoms triggered by foods.
I suggest to parents keeping a diary of when symptoms occur, and what has happened / been in contact / eaten to identify a specific trigger for the flare-ups – coughs and colds make eczema flare-ups more likely as do changes in weather, especially cold that dries the skin out. Check to see whether she’s too warm or cold at night. Keeping a diary often means the eczema trigger jumps off the page at you. If despite you using the hydrocortisone as directed by your doctor, and moisturising regularly, these flare-ups still persist, ask your doctor to re-confirm that the problem is still only eczema. Sometimes mild skin infection triggers flare-ups and this needs antibiotic treatment.
is it ok that my daughter who is 2 and a half only eats certain foods for tea mostly has pasta wont eat meat or veg. for lunch has crisps. have tried giving different foods just looks at it and gives back to me
Hi Flimflammum He, and you, have a lot going on what with starting nursery (where he’ll come into contact with lots of coughs and colds) and your new arrival. Children get up to 10 colds a year, many of these during the winter. Considering symptoms last around a week, then the cough can last a week or two longer, if he picks up another it can certainly seem like it’s constant.
Keep up the healthy diet (and supplement with vitamin C if you’re concerned he’s not getting enough), make sure he’s always got a drink to hand so he keeps himself hydrated, and with spring arriving get him outdoors to play. There’s some research suggesting that a probiotic each day helps lessen the chance of these viral infections. Encourage washing hands regularly during the day, this helps lessen the risk of him picking up infections. Oh, and of course, keep him away from passive smoke. This way you'll help to keep his immune sytsem fighting fit ready to take on other infections that come his way!
Hi Dr Rob, When dd has an ear infection the actual ear goes bright red. Is this normal? Our gp was suprised about it when I told him. Also dd has an umbilical hernia. Why does it need to be operated on? It doesn't seem to to bother her. It actually looks much less sticky-outy now than before. She's due the opp in July if its not gone by then. Thanks
You are in a very difficult situation where clearly there’s an established battle of wills here and you are losing the battle. I’m not a psychologist but in my experience as a GP similar situations have resulted from some life event that set the ball of the establishment of an unacceptable eating pattern in motion, for example, a relationship break-up; inconsistency, for example parents want their children to eat fruit for snacks but eat chocolate or other sweets for snacks themselves; unhappiness such that pleasure is gained through comforting foods.
I’d suggest you approach your GP with your concerns because you are correct in being worried about your daughter becoming overweight/obese. You may also need the help of a nutritionist to establish an eating plan that provides your daughter with sufficient nutrients, or the advice of a psychologist if there is an underlying reason for the eating behaviour.
I think you need to understand that problems such as the one you are facing do not get resolved overnight, but invariably do get solved in time.
hi dr rob, i have had problems with breastfeeding and as a result have ended up mix feeding my son, he is 18 weeks old and has beeb fed breast and bottle since about 3 weeks old, just wondered if you know if the benefits of breastfeeding you hear of in the first 6 months still apply if baby is mix fed. What i'm trying to say is, will the benefits be reduced because he has not been exclusively breasfed or is it the same as long as he's had some breastmilk for 6 months?
You suggested things that might work for younger children who are fussy eaters. Have you any advice for struggles with older children for whom your advice won't work?
Any child can get constipated, but breast-fed babies are less likely to get constipated than formula-fed babies. Not going for a number of days is unlikely to cause harm but if she’s distressed by this, or by trying to go, then you’re right to be concerned. The worry with a child becoming distressed is that one painful pooing experience triggers a fear that doing a poo will be painful again. In fact, holding on and not going invariably results in the next poo being painful so a child’s belief is reinforced.
Diluted fresh orange juice, or apple juice should be OK. I’ve found a stool softener such as Lactulose usually solves the problem. You can get a prescription for this from your GP.
Again question about iron ans babies. M My nearly 10 months old daughter won't touch any meat and very littl fish. Not keen on pulses either. Is she getting enough iron from vegetbles, fruits, fortified cereal etc and a breast milk?
I know exactly what you mean! My personal experiences are mostly good, but with a few ups and downs, of course.
Like many parents I now do some work from a “home office”, in fact this is where I am now. On the plus side it allows me the flexibility to be around and experience what my daughter is getting up to and to be able to help out when needed. On the downside it can be difficult to get stuff done if there are “angel-face” interruptions inviting me to play – we have a family concert rehearsal going on at the moment! The truth is it works for me. It’s made me adapt the way I work, re-assess my priorities, and simply put my family first. If someone is out at work, it can be difficult to come back home from work and have to be the happy, playful parent, bath, read story, when all you want to is fall in front of the TV. It’s not easy either when two parents are working, especially if others at work don’t have children so don’t appreciate that sometimes you have to just get up and go home because your child is unwell, for instance. I think the arrival of children is hard on those who work, who may have been used to a routine – we all know how children upset routines!! The bottom line is how well some one deals with change, and the unexpected. It’s this that influences how stressed, or calm, a person is each day.
Of course there are times when I start to feel stressed, and this is when I’ll do something I find relaxing and think back to when a cab driver once said to me “you don’t reach your death-bed and say I wish I’d worked more, you say I wish I’d spent more time with my family, friends, doing the things I enjoy”.
With regards health and wellbeing work and family integration can strengthen these or bring about their downfall. My advice to parents is don’t forget yourself, you need me-time and shouldn’t feel guilty about this. I always remember what a consultant said to me when I was a junior doctor, “Rob, unless you look after yourself you won’t be able to look after your patients properly”, and I think this applies to parenthood too.
It sounds like you’ve have particular experience of this, and yes, this is a problem isn’t it? One person says one thing, another says something different, your own mother says something else, you read in a parenting magazine yet something else, and so on it goes. Meanwhile whilst you’re trying to do your best for your child it feels impossible to believe you’re achieving this.
Part of the problem is the abundance of advice now available to parents from newspapers, magazines, radio and TV, and the internet. Plus, science is moving at an incredible pace such that by the time guidelines are developed results of studies are published that question the validity of the guidance. You may have noticed that over recent years parenting advice has become less prescriptive, because it’s no longer so crystal clear what is best.
Believe me, I understand how you feel, I find it difficult to keep up too!
In reality, there are very few absolute rights and wrongs, and many more “well you could try this, or you could try that, but we don’t know what is actually best". Much has medical science has progressed over recent years, if anything this has left us with more questions than answers. But some things are currently carved in stone, for example, not smoking around a child, or better still not smoking at all.
My advice to parents is never be frightened to ask questions if you are not sure about something. Yes, this may mean that you are left with having to make up your own mind, but at the end of the day we all have to decide what we feel is best for our children, and when the “experts” don’t have the answer, then until they do we have to make the choice. It's not always easy is it!
Take a look at this site, it’s where I go to remind myself about what children need, and to reassure myself when I feel that perhaps my daughter is missing out on something! http://www.eatwell.gov.uk/agesandstages/children
From age 5 it’s advised for children and adults to have at least five portions of fruit and veg a day. It should be a variety of fruit and veg making up the 5 portions, not all fruit and no veg. The balance could be fruit:veg 4:1 or fruit:veg 1:4, but I guess most would go for a 3:2 ration of either way. I think a variety is best, and if possible introduce new foods as often as possible, keeping the known favourites as back up in case noses are turned upwards! The more you offer a food the more a child is likely to accept it and then be happy to eat it. Many of us gave up after offering a food on 2 or 3 occasions and it being refused, but research suggests that offering it let’s say every other day over two weeks makes it more likely that a child will eat it and continue to eat it happily for months later. I’m not aware of a minimum amount of veg for a one year old – if anyone can point me in the direction of this please do?! I’d say try for one a day and build up. And don’t forget dairy, children need calcium for strong and healthy bones.
Dd (4) has just been referred following a school vision test - the nurse said her right eye wasn't functioning as well as her left. Is this likely to be a lazy eye? If so, what is the best treatment, and could it have been caused by hair flopping in her eyes?
Secondly, ds1 (6) has a dreadful diet - he is virtually vegetarian (only eats fish and mince), but doesn't like vegetables/fruit, apart from fruit smoothies, baked beans, peas, grapes. He seems to have an over developed sense of taste/smell. Is this possible and is it going to REALLY affect him? Because I have tried EVERYTHING to get him to eat better.
I have just read your last post which I think is for me.
Thanks for the information - my son is 20 months now and appears to have suffered no ill-effects of the condition/operation apart from being able to vomit with ease .
I will try and contact the surgeon but I do feel that we will be much better informed and prepared if any subsequent children do develop it as we know what to look for.
Glad to hear that your son had the corrective operation and I hope he’s doing well now.
For those who don’t already know pyloric stenosis is when the passage between the stomach and the small bowel becomes narrower than it should be stopping food from passing from the stomach into the bowel to be digested. An operation is performed to widen the passage so food can pass through and be digested.
It’s more common in boys in a ratio of 4 to 1, and particularly in first-born boys. It can run in families and because of this subsequent children may be at a greater risk but I’ve not been able to find a figure as to how much greater this risk is. If anyone knows the answer then please post a message.
You may wish to contact the surgeon who performed your son's operation as he/she may be able o give you a precise answer, but be prepared for the exact risk not being known, and good luck in conceiving your next child!
Take a look at this site, it’s where I go to remind myself about what children need, and to reassure myself when I feel that perhaps my daughter is missing out on something! http://www.eatwell.gov.uk/agesandstages/children
From age 5 it’s advised for children and adults to have at least five portions of fruit and veg a day. It should be a variety of fruit and veg making up the 5 portions, not all fruit and no veg. The balance could be fruit:veg 4:1 or fruit:veg 1:4, but I guess most would go for a 3:2 ratio of either way. I think a variety is best, and if possible introduce new foods as often as possible, keeping the known favourites as back up in case noses are turned upwards! The more you offer a food the more a child is likely to accept it and then be happy to eat it. Many of us gave up after offering a food on 2 or 3 occasions and it being refused, but research suggests that offering it let’s say every other day over two weeks makes it more likely that a child will eat it and continue to eat it happily for months later. I’m not aware of a minimum amount of veg for a one year old – if anyone can point me in the direction of this please do?! I’d say try for one a day and build up. And don’t forget dairy, children need calcium for strong and healthy bones.
We’ve had a lot of questions about children being “fussy eaters”. It can drive you barmy can’t it!
Here’s some thoughts that have been shared by my patients, friends, family, and those I’ve overheard in various coffee shops:
Try not to get into a battle – I know it’s hard but getting into a fight makes matters worse. If you feel you are going to shout, get up and walk away, then come back after having taken a few deep breaths, I know this works ;-)
Offer a variety of foods, and when introducing new foods, simply show it to them, let them handle it. Don’t worry if they don’ want to eat it. Let them see how you eat it so they learn how and that you like it too – children can tell if you’re faking it!
Get children involved in preparing and making meals. Those children who are involved are more likely to eat the foods themselves.
Cut up fruits of different colours into shapes and put in a container in the fridge. Let your child decorate the outside with favourite stickers so it’s his/her special pot. My experience and the experience of others is that this helps the fruit go down.
Put lots of colours on the plate.
Try mixing foods together (I know, children will identify microscopic pieces of food and pick them out!) – for example favourite cereal, plus enjoyed fruit, plus whatever is a suitable “challenge” food.
Try for all the family eating the same foods.
And last but not least, as a general rule of thumb if a child is happy, well, playing and growing (check height and weight charts), then he/she is probably getting enough nutrition.
As a working mum I find it hard to cook and eat much before 7pm. They don't have a problem finishing their meals but they then go to bed about an hour to an hour and a half later.
Is this too late for children to have their main meal of the day?
My 11 year old daughter is quite tall and is very slim. She does loads of sport at school and is in the school swimming team.
I am concerned that she is not getting enough nourishment, what kinds of food should I be offering her given that I know it is important to build up strong bones during adolescence?
My 5 year old who has a reasonably healthy diet, but not esp fibrous, has very loose bowel movements. He is regular as clockwork, and always uses the toilet in the morning first thing. It is certainly not diarrohea, but I sometimes wonder, if I should get him checked out. He has Asthma and low Iga levels.
Hi Dr Rob I'm 9 months pregnant and have come down with a UTI - saw a locum GP who prescribed me amoxycillin but I'm wondering if there's anything nutrition-wise I can do to help get rid of it. I understand cranberry is a preventative and not much use once the infection's there? Thanks
Hi Dr Rob. My children seem to have been ill constantly since Christmas. We've had tonsillitis, ear infection, UTI, colds, conjunctivitis, impetigo and now possibly ds has impetigo and dd thrush.
Is there anything I can do to try and build them up a bit? DD is quite small and looks pale and wan (has also just started school). She eats well. DS (2.5) is a big lad but an incredibly fussy eater (but loves fruit above anything else). I am reaching the end of my tether dealing with constant illness. Tell me it'll get better soon.
Hello Dr Rob, My five year old has developed a nervous blink - except that he doesn't seem to be very nervous/ worried about anything in particular. He says he doesn't know he's doing it. What would you advise?
Hi Dr Rob, I hope you can help me. My 3 years old son will hardly eat anything. He only eats pasta, spaghetti and cheese. The rest of the family follow a healthy, varied diet. I love cooking and am constantly trying to make new dishes to entice him. He's very small for his age and very pale. Can you give me any advice? Thanks so much.
My DD is 23 months. Over the last few weeks she has not stopped eating/asking for food. She has two weetabix/or a whole bowl of porridge for breakfast followed by toast, a huge lunch and dinner with fruit and fruit pots as snacks. she still has a nine oz botttle of milk before bed. She could eat an adult size portion and still scream for more! she is now waking in the early hours crying for food. I can't believe she puts so much away. After eating her own food she will cry for mine. She has lost weight (but she must cover 10 miles a day running up and down - she never sits still!) but is not skinny. she is fine in every other way.
Please, please please can you help me with my 9 year old? She is overweight - may be verging on obese but since she won't let me weigh her I can't be certain.
I know all about what she should eat, but the problem is she won't. She was fine as a toddler but her food intake has gone from bad to worse. She will eat:
Bread and butter bacon Spaghetti with butter Cream crackers Yorkshire pudding Fruit juices some fruit and of course all manner of anything sweet and bad for her.
I am at my wit's end, to the point of wondering if we could go anywhere where those things aren't available. I wonder if there's an underlying issue here - for example, she won't eat pizza because it has cheese on it, and yet, despite her protestations that she doesn't like cheese, she's never actually tried it. Anything new/different won't get tried, so there's no chance of putting her on a healthy diet. And if the above foods are witheld she'll hang out until she's starving and then fill up on bread.
I have a question for you. What do you think about Cranial Osteopathy for babies? I ask because there is a HUGE amount of anecdotal evidence here on mn in favour of it, parents have really good results with anxious, colicy babies but they seem to only find their way to it through word of mouth. Would it be helpful if gp's or health visitors could refer babies for Cranial Osteopathy, in your opinion, and can you ever see that happening in the future?
Hi another food related question here. My daughter is just over 3 and does not like hot meals. I am lucky if I can get her to eat 2 "hot meals" a week. She is fine if I do her a cold platter, is this anything I should be concerned about or will she grow out of it?
My daughter has them "calcium" white marks on her nails. But she drinks milk three or four times a day. She is on Cow & Gate formula. She is ten months. Plus I live abroad as an expat so any information will be helpful. thanx
For Dr Rob Hicks. I have a very fussy 5 year old eater who will not touch vegetables at all, she will eat herbs and fruit which is a relief, but her diet is very unvaried. I cannot hide things in sauces or soups, she wont touch them and would rather go hungry (but ends up in tantrums when her blood sugar dips). I realize it is my accidental parenting of not being stricter when she moved from purees to finger food and was rejecting all foods as a toddler, but I dont know how to remedy the situation in a calm, relaxed and peaceful way now. Any suggestions you have would be incredibly helpful. Treats dont work, she would rather go without than touch something she doesnt want to even try (a very spirited strong willed girl). Ultralife do a fruit & veg drink (5 a day the easy way) which she happily drinks as it tastes nice (luckily the picture on the front only shows fruit) but obviously this way she isnt getting fibre. Help please! Jo
I have a six month old who has been weaning since 18wks on baby rice and home made fruit/veg purees. I am now looking at baby porridge and cereal products but there seems to be a lot of sugar in them, sometimes as much as 30g per 100g. How much sugar is okay, I don't want to give her a sweet tooth or rot her teeth when they arrive?
My son is almost 2 and for at least the last 6 months has become a very fussy eater. He doesn't eat any protein (meat, fish, cheese) or any vegetables. He survives on toast, cereal and crackers. The only way he will eat fruit is if I make smoothies which I do. He is not underweight and has lots of energy. I am trying to stay relaxed about the whole thing having read a couple of books for advice but find it hard not to worry. Any advice or reassurance would be much appreciated. Thanks
Ds has a pretty good diet - proper breakfast (porridge or Cheerios), good quality cooked lunch at school, good dinner at home. He hates the texture of a lot of fruit so we struggle on that front but he will eat most veg. He also eats red meat a couple of times a week, and gets protein from dairy and lentils etc too. Carbs include Vogels bread and wholemeal pasta, plus brown rice. So I'd honestly say it's a pretty good diet.
My concern is the quantity he typically eats. He eats only as much as 4 year old dd, and is not a big snacker. He is small for his age (nearly nine but still in age 7 Gap and Boden clothes) and I am starting to get a bit concerned about this. He gets two long slots of PE at school, plus an after school tag rugby session, plus tennis and sometimes a swim at weekends, so his stamina is OK, but he's not really sporty tbh.
I know deep down I needn't worry - I'm only 5'2", his dad is 6', my dad is only 5'7", but is there any point in trying to stoke him up a bit to aid growth? He is slim but not thin. But dd is growing like Topsy and seems far more energetic than him...on the same diet.
My one year old has a diet that includes fish but no other meat. I'm concerned that he gets enough iron and other nutrients. He's not keen on lentils, although he will consume one tiny finger of bread (1cm x 2cm)with a thin spread of lentil mush. He likes fish and eats a chunk a day not much more than about 25g (I think about that). He eats some veg (mostly peas) and is still breast fed. Any suggestions? Are there nutritional concerns about babies not eating meat?
my daughter is 2 and a half and is a very fussy eater!! often doesnt have a full meal. prefers to snack on fruit and biscuits during the day! she is small for her age and has always had problems gaining weight.she tends to only like certain foods, wont eat meat or veg but has plenty of fruit
I have a daughter of 2 yrs 9 months, she has never been a great eater, but is still happily going days without eating a full meal of any description.
I do try to give her 6 small meals a day so she does not get overfaced, but am wondering if this is how she will be for life now, a grazer, and if this is ok?
she is not underweight although she is petite. and does drink a decent amount of milk and likes fruit and veg
I have a ds 2.3years old, he is a "good" eater. He eats a huge amount of food a day, but he has a very limited diet. He distrust any kind of hot or cooked foods and lives of wholemeal bread, fruit, weetabix, porridge, yoghurt's and about 500-600ml of milk per day. I'm in total panic that I'm raising a freaky eater and don't know how to get him to try other foods. Is there a practical way to broach this. I've been offering him the same food we eat everyday for 13 months now and he still refuses to try it up to a point of hysteria if you try to get him to just taste it. I suspect an incident at about 14 months when he burnt his mouth slightly on chicken has started this off as since then he has not touched any food prepared by me (except veggie muffins and the food mentioned). How long can I leave it before it will be seen as a problem and not just a fad?
Just wondering what 7 things you would advise parents to include in the weekly diet for children under 7. Or, maybe, list 7 super foods for kids. Also, if I can add another one, what do you think of supplements for kids - multi vitamins and also Omega 3/ 6. would eating sardines on seeded bread once a week give them enough Omega 3?
My totally breastfed daughter (16 weeks) keeps getting constipated on and off but I am constantly told this doesn't happen in breastfed babies - clearly it does ! The only solution I have been offered is to give her diluted fresh orange juice - would this not just negate all the efforts of breastfeeding? Are there any other solutions? Also, how long should I leave her - she's never gone longer than 5 days but seems quite distressed by then.
Can you recommend anything to boost my son's immune system? He's two-and-a-half and has just had one illness after another this winter (chicken pox, coughs and colds, rash caused by 'a virus', and currently bronchitis I think). He's coping with a lot as he's recently dropped his daytime nap so is often tired, and has a new baby sister (and started nursery last autumn). He has a pretty good diet with lots of veg and fruit. Thanks in advance.
Can I please ask about execema and food? is there a link? my daughters diet is fairly consistent, she eats pretty much most things. but occasionally she flares up on her arms/groin & legs with itching - usually at 11pm (odd) at night. shes 5. i use 1% cortisone when it s intense but sporadically, i wouldnt repeat the appication 4 hrs later, should I? i also mositerise her when she lets me - this is verytricky. tia
My sister, who is single, had a son three years ago via IVF. Last week when someone asked James at the playground where his daddy was, James answered with a long story about how his Daddy was at home. He's done this before - Daddy's on holiday - and it's heart-breaking that he feels he has to make up stories about it. He's been told from the start that he doesn't have a Daddy but he's so little and obviously really wants a Daddy and so I wondered what we could do to help him? I don't want him to feel ashamed or embarrassed or that it's in any way his fault and yet just saying 'You haven't got one' or promising that he might get one in the future seem wrong too. If you could recommend a strategy or some books to read I'd be very grateful.
I have one child - a son who was diagnosed with pyloric stenosis and had the corrective operation at 8 weeks old. I am currently trying to conceive again - could you tell me what the chances are of having another baby with the same condition? Is the likelihood increased because we have already had one baby with it?
I would like to know if he feels there is a way of tying together the advice from the medical health professionals. The thing that has confused the majority of first time parents is being told a)incorrect b)out of date c)conflicting advice from people who are meant to know the right thing to do with a baby.
Hi, I'm new to mumsnet and find juggling work and family commitments chaotic. I have 2 questions for Dr Rob Hicks. What are your experiences of work and family integration? In your opinion how does work and family integration influence health and wellbeing?
not THIS rob hicks? i think his advice may be to do wiht grog and 20 lashes/
By OliviaMumsnet on Tue 04-Mar-08 11:46:12
(from MNHQ)
Dr Rob Hicks will be here for an online chat with Mumsnetters this Friday 7th March.
Dr Rob is a practising GP, health writer and medical journalist with a specialist interest in family health and child development.
A regular contributor to Prima Baby magazine he is also the Classic FM radio doctor and frequently appears on television in the role of medical expert. He is also dad to a 4 year old daughter.
Dr Rob will be joining us for an hour at 1 o'clock to answer any of your questions about children's health and diet, so get your questions ready, grab a cuppa and join us then.
But if you won't be here during the chat itself, then do please post any advance questions for Dr Rob here.
@ "I’m going to cheat a little hear and point you to:" 
