CathyMum's Blog

The Liberal Democrats have proposed giving parents more time off after having a baby. Drafted by the Minister of Equality, this will allow parents to claim up to 15 months’ leave, as well as the right to give employers very little notice beforehand. From April 2015, the Children and Families Bill will give parents the right to ‘mix and match’ childcare arrangements during the first year of...

Experts warn that children who use tablets or smartphones may develop long-term problems with their hands and fingers. Studies indicate that this is due to the fact that tablets and smartphones prevent a child from building up muscles needed for writing. Researchers found both a decrease in muscle strength and a delay in motor skill development among children who engaged with these gadgets...

New research has found that testing protein levels in pregnant women before 35 weeks is highly accurate in identifying those at risk of developing pre-eclampsia. Pre-eclampsia is a severe type of high blood pressure in pregnancy that can be fatal. Currently, high blood pressure and the presence of protein in the urine are used to diagnose it but the test is unreliable and can take days to confirm...

A recent study found that music lessons in childhood can help with your child’s hearing later in life. Playing an instrument can also help keep the brain active in adulthood, and even though we usually associate deafness in the ears, the brain is important to ensure we hear clearly. If the brain processes sound more slowly, it can be more difficult, to say, hear clearly while chatting on the...

Not only can lullabies soothe your baby to sleep, but they can also ease pain. A new study has found that well-loved children’s songs helped paediatric patients in Great Ormond Street Hospital feel better. The children’s stressed heart rates were found to drop – even in toddlers waiting for heart transplants – and babies were in visibly less pain. Speculation that these reactions were...

New research shows women who stay fit when pregnant could be helping their little ones develop healthy hearts. The study said people whose mums exercised during pregnancy will have healthier blood vessels in adult life. They believe this is because exercise can programme a baby’s blood vessels to resist heart problems in later life. Scientists from both the US and Germany carried out the study...

While weddings are usually the most extravagant day in a person’s life, new research has found that baptisms have become much fancier affairs. A quarter of parents admitted they spent at least £1,000 on their baby’s christening, while 10% say they spent £10,000. While most of the money is spent on catering for the reception, a significant amount is also spent on expensive christening gowns...

Worryingly almost half of British kids between the ages of 10 and 14 have seen their parents drunk. Children copy their parents’ behaviours and Elaine Hindal of Drinkaware calls on mums and dads to “understand their significant influence as role models and feel confident to set a good example.” Last year over 3,000 Britons, some as young as 12, had to seek help for a drinking problem and...

A recent survey in the UK has revealed that 21% of stay-at-home mothers were the family’s main earner before they gave up work to look after their children. Many of the women who took part in the poll believe they would be earning more than their partners had they not given up work but were prepared to give it up to look after their children. Just under half of the women surveyed gave up their...

Mums understand just how hard it can be to give their kids medicine when they are ill. Most children refuse to take it unless it is brightly coloured or has a certain flavour but a recent survey found that these bright colours contain additives that are linked to hyperactivity and attention deficit disorder. Under EU law synthetic colourings are banned from food and drinks targeted at children...