The UK Food Standards Agency currently advises that pregnant women should drink no more than 200mg of caffeine per day, but some high street coffee brands have been found to contain more than that in just one espresso shot.   High caffeine levels have been linked to an increased risk of miscarriage.

The study of the caffeine content in espresso shots in 20 Glasgow cafes, showed a wide range in levels, from 51 mg in Starbucks to 322 mg in Patisserie Francois.  The espresso coffee is used in the preparation of a number of types of coffee, including lattes and cappuccinos.   

The study was carried out by researchers from the University of Glasgow, and the findings were published in the Royal Society of Chemistry’s journal, Food and Function.  The researchers suggested that further study is needed into the subject.

Source:  NHS, BBC, Daily Express.

Baby Melinda Star Guido was born prematurely at 24 weeks during August in Southern California, weighing just 9 1/2 ounzes.  It is thought she is the second smallest baby to survive in the US and the third smallest in the world.  She now weighs around 4 pounds, and her mother, 22 year old Haydee Ibarra is hoping to take her daughter home for the first time at the New Year.

Haydee had a problematic pregnancy, with high blood pressure, and doctors told her the baby would need to be delivered very early by caesarian.  Melinda was cared for in the neonatal intensive care unit at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Centre.

"The first few weeks, it was touch and go. None of us thought the baby was going to make it," said Rangasamy Ramanathan, a doctor who oversees premature infants at  the hospital.  Doctors told Ibarra and her husband, Yovani Guido, that even if Melinda survived, she could suffer from serious future health problems. But the couple told the doctors to do whatever was necessary to help the baby. Mr Ramanathan recalled, "They said, 'we'll take the chance, please try'. So we said, 'OK we'll try'."

Melinda is now doing well. So far she has been fed by a tube.  Her next challenge is learning to bottle feed.

Source:  Guardian, Telegraph

Which? magazine awarded 'Best Buy' to the Kiddy Guardian Pro 2 child seat (for Group 1/2/3) and the Kiddy Cruiserfix Pro child seat (Group 2/3). 

The Kiddy Guardian Pro 2 was tested as a Group 1 stage car seat, and also as a Group 2/3 stage seat. In both tests it came out top, gaining full marks for ‘side impact protection’, ‘avoidance of incorrect fitting’ and ‘fitting in car’, and only slightly below full marks in ‘frontal crash protection’.

The Cruiserfix Pro, with optional isofix fittings, was tested with and without using isofix. Again it led the field in both. Marks of 100% were given for ‘side impact protection’ and ‘avoidance of incorrect fitting’, and just below this with a 4/5 rating for ‘front crash protection’ and ‘fitting in car’. Which? described the Cruiserfix Pro as, "A Best Buy seat covering groups 2 and 3, easy to install, great side-crash safety, good front-crash safety, good padding, high-quality finish, easy to clean."

Which? also made the following comment: "Commonly, if a seat manufacturer tries to cover such a wide weight and age range, the design falls short in at least one area, but Kiddy seems to have really thought it through to make this design work across the range."

Kiddy also has the top product in the Which? magazine Group 1 child car seat category, with its Kiddy Energy Pro.

You can buy the Kiddy Guardian Pro 2 and the Kiddy Cruiserfix Pro online here at Olivers Babycare.

Source: Kiddy, which?  Nursery Online

A number of English and Scottish councils have given warnings about the dangers of these products, particularly 'bling dummies' which are covered with beads and diamante plastic gems. There are concerns that the glue used to attach the beads can be weakened when the soothers are cleaned in hot water or sterlisers and that the beads can become a serious choking hazard.

Trading Standards Officers from councils across the UK are urging parents not to buy these items for their babies.  Several councils, including Suffolk County Council, have seized a number of baby bling products which have been found for sale across the county.

At Medway Council in Kent 'bling dummies' were tested and found to breach safety controls. A spokesman for the council said,  "Not only do they feature prohibited decorations but the hand-glued beads and gems were also found to be easily detached, posing a huge danger as they could easily choke a baby or small child."

Baby products retailer, Olivers Babycare, has added its voice to concerns about the baby bling products. "The current trend for 'baby bling' is very worrying," says partner at the company, Julie Baughan.  "We urge parents to take this issue very seriously and to choose a soother or pacifier for their baby that will not pose any safety risk. There is a huge range of colourful and pretty soothers on the market at very reasonable prices."

Source: BBC News

A study of 400 newborn babies in Sweden compared those who had their cords clamped straight after birth, with those whose cords were cut at least three minutes later. Four months after their births, the babies' iron levels were tested. Around 6% of those who had their cords clamped immediately were found to be deficient in iron, compared with around 1% of the other babies. It is thought that the short delay in clamping the cords allows more blood to pass from the mother's placenta to the baby after birth.

The researchers say that a delay in clamping should now become standard practice at births.  Writing in the British Medical Journal online, where the results of the research were published, Ola Andersson, Consultant in Neonatology at the Hospital of Holland, in Halmstad, Sweden, said,  "Iron deficiency even without anaemia has been associated with impaired development among infants. Our results suggest that delayed cord clamping also benefits infant health in regions with a relatively low prevalence of iron deficiency and should be considered as standard care for full term deliveries after uncomplicated pregnancies."

In an accompanying editorial, Dr Patrick van Rheenen, Consultant Paediatrician at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands, said that enough evidence now existed to encourage delayed cord clamping. “The balance of maternal risks and infant benefits of delayed cord clamping now clearly favours the child. How much more evidence is needed to convince obstetricians and midwives that it is worthwhile to wait for three minutes to allow for placental transfusion, even in developed countries?”

Source: Telegraph 

Researchers monitored 64,538 women with low-risk pregnancies between April 1st 2008 and April 30th 2010, with some of them giving birth at home, others in hospital or in midwife led units.

The study found that the overall rate of serious birth complications in home births was 3.5 in 1,000 births, which was comparable with the figure for births in medical surroundings.

However when looking specifically at women experiencing their first birth, the number of cases involving serious complications was at least double, and in some case three times higher (up to 9.5 babies per 1,000) than the number of complications suffered in hospital births where treatment could be given straight away in the event of some medical conditions.  These complications included stillbirth, fractures and brain injury.  

Professor Peter Brocklehurst, who led the study at Oxford, said complications during birth were still very rare. "For every 1,000 women, 995 babies would have a completely normal outcome," he said. "These results should reassure pregnant women planning their birth that they can make informed decisions about where they'd most like the birth to happen, knowing that giving birth in England is generally very safe. There is an increase in risk for first-time mums planning home births, but poor outcomes for the baby are still uncommon."

Source:  BBC, Telegraph, NHS

The guidelines, issued by NICE, the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence, state that a mother to be should be offered all the necessary information, including any potential risks, but the decision whether to have a caesarian must then be left to her.

The previous NICE guidelines from 2004 stated that the medical authorities could decline a request for a caesarian if they felt it was inappropriate.

Dr Gillian Leng, Deputy Chief Executive of NICE, said,  "This guideline is not about offering free caesareans for all on the NHS. It is about ensuring that women give birth in the way that is most appropriate for them and their babies. Offering these women a planned caesarean section in these circumstances is a very long way from saying that caesarean section should automatically be offered to every woman."

Around 25 per cent of babies in the UK are born by caesarian, mostly in emergency situations. NICE dismissed suggestions that the new guidelines would lead to a rise in caesarians by those who were frightened of giving birth naturally, saying that much of the anxiety experienced by pregnant women related to a lack of information and knowledge.

Source: BBC, Telegraph, Guardian, NHS

The recommendations have been made by the UK's drug regulator, the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).  The new guidelines stipulate exact amounts of the paracetemol based medicines that should be given to children at different ages, with seven narrower age bands for children, aged from 3 months to 12 years.

The agency stresses that the new guidelines are being introduced to give more precise dosage recommendations relating to a child's age, not because of any safety concerns about the previous dosage levels.

Doses for children’s liquid paracetamol were previously defined based on three age groups:

• 3 months to under 1 year: 2.5ml of infant paracetamol suspension, given up to four times a day
• 1 year to under 6 years: 5 to 10ml of infant paracetamol suspension, given up to four times a day
• 6 years to 12 years: 5 to 10ml of paracetamol six-plus suspension, given up to four times a day

The new recommendations are as follow:

• 3 months to 6 months: 2.5ml of infant paracetamol suspension, given up to four times per day
• 6 months to 24 months: 5ml of infant paracetamol suspension, given up to four times a day
• 2 years to 4 years: 7.5ml of infant paracetamol suspension, given up to four times a day
• 4 years to 6 years: 10ml of infant paracetamol suspension, given up to four times a day
• 6 years to 8 years: 5ml of paracetamol six-plus suspension, given up to four times a day
• 8 years to 10 years: 7.5ml of paracetamol six-plus suspension, given up to four times a day
• 10 years to 12 years: 10ml of paracetamol six-plus suspension, given up to four times a day

 Infant paracetamol suspension still contains 120mg of paracetamol for every 5ml of suspension, and paracetamol six-plus suspension still contains 240/250mg of paracetamol for every 5ml of suspension.

Source: NHS, BBC, Telegraph, Mail

The first of these babies arrived just before midnight in the Philippines. A baby girl called Danica May Comacho,  born in a crowded public hospital, was welcomed into the world with a chocolate cake marked '7B Philippines'. She was given a gift certificate for a pair of free shoes as local officials made speeches and photographers' cameras flashed. 

Danica is one of the symbolic 'Seven Billionth Babies' being recognised by the United Nations as part of events around the world to mark the rise in the world's population to seven billion.

In Uttar Pradesh in India, the most populated state in the world's second-most populous country, officials said they would be appointing seven girls born on this day to symbolise the 7 billion.  India is using the day to highlight the plight of many unborn baby girls who are aborted because of their sex.

The UN estimates that the population of the world will reach 8 billion by 2025 and 10 billion by 2083.

The test would allow only the best eggs or embryos to be selected for IVF, which it is hoped would greatly reduce the number of miscarriages after IVF treatment.  It is understood that the process would allow better testing of the eggs or embryos for defects.  At the moment, many of these genetic defects are not discovered, and go on to cause a miscarriage.

Dr Dagan Wells from Oxford University, who led the research, said: “I think it offers the possibility of enhancing success rates of IVF, allowing couples to get to the point of having a baby more rapidly with fewer cycles, and avoiding the heartbreak of miscarriage or terminating a pregnancy because of serious disorders."

The research, which was carried out at the University of Oxford, was presented at the American Society for Reproductive Medicine’s annual conference in Orlando in October 2011. 

Source:

Telegraph, Daily Mail.

The study found that mothers with the highest exposure to BPA were most likely to have daughters who displayed emotional or behavioural problems during their childhoods.   A total of 244 mothers and their children were assessed, and it was noted that increased exposure by the women to BPA during their pregnancies was associated with aggressive, hyperactive or anxious behaviour by their daughters at the age of three years. 

BPA is widely used in the food and drink industry, found in plastic bottles, canned food linings etc. Use of the chemical in baby feeding bottles was banned in March 2011 by the European Commisson.

The research was funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the US Environmental Protection Agency. It is the latest study to build on the growing body of research suggesting that childhood behaviour can be affected by exposure to BPA in the womb.

Olivers Babycare online store sells a range of baby feeding bottles that are free from BPA, including bottles from Born Free, NUK and Philips Avent.

Brother Max won gold with its one touch 3 in 1 digital thermometer, while the Gro Company won gold for the second year running for its Grobag, baby sleeping bag. 

The Hippy Chick mattress protector won a bronze award in the Practical Parenting awards, while in the Practical Pre-schools Awards there were gold awards for Hippy Chick's Wheelybugs and Moover Baby Trucks.

Dusky Moon also won a gold award in the Practical Pre-school Awards for its Dream Tubes Bed Guard.

The Practical Parenting awards and the Practical Pre-school awards are amongst the most highly regarded annual awards in the nursery industry.

All the above baby products are available for sale online at Olivers Babycare.

RoSPA's advice comes on the 5th anniversary of the child car seat law in 2006 requiring babies and toddlers to use a child car seat appropriate for their weight and size.  The law also requires that until children are 135 cm tall (approx 12 years old) they should use a child seat when travelling in the front or rear of a car. 

Duncan Vernon, RoSPA’s Road Safety Manager for England, said: “Even though it is five years since the child car seat law came into force, we still need to talk to parents about choosing and using car seats. People are starting families all the time and they are looking for information about what the law requires and about the types of seat available for babies. Likewise, the parents of toddlers and older children are looking for advice about when to move their children from one seat to another.

“The safest way for a child to travel in a car is in a child seat that is correct for his or her weight and size, and the law also requires this. Furthermore, the importance of properly fitting a child seat cannot be over stated, so that it works as it is designed to in a crash. We urge parents and carers – including grandparents who might drive their grandchildren - to ensure that a child’s seat is compatible with all the cars it will be used in, checking with the seat and car manufacturer if necessary and seeking expert help on fitting, perhaps from a retailer. We also encourage parents to check that the seat is fitted correctly before every journey, especially if they are regularly taking it in and out of the car.”  

RoSPA also advises that parents should not buy second-hand child car seats. This is for a number of reasons: the seat may have been in an accident before and have been damaged, some of the parts or fitting instructions may be missing or the child car seat may not comply with the latest standards.   It is also important that parents buy a child car seat that is compatible with their own car.  Not all child car seats fit all makes of car.

For more information, see RoSPA's child car seats website:  www.childcarseats.org.uk

Source:

RoSPA

Researchers at a number of American research institutions have found that the levels of a chemical called lactate rise significanlty before a woman goes into labour. Thses findings could help towards the development of a new test, known as the 'lac test', where the level of lactate is measured, and this could help warn doctors if a baby is likely to be born prematurely, (before 35 weeks gestation.)

The research is published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. 

Around 80,000 babies are born early in Britain every year, and around a third of those born before 26 weeks gestation do not survive. If a test could be developed that could help doctors predict which women were likely to go into premature labour, the women, and babies, could be offered additional specialist care.

Source:

Daily Mail, NHS

Canadian researchers at the University of Montreal studied 4,700 women who lost babies during the first 20 weeks of gestation. Around 7.5% had taken painkilling drugs such as Ibroprofen, known as NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs). 

A control group of 47,000 women was also studied, who gave birth to health babies.  Around 2.6% of this group had taken NSAIDs.

"The use of nonaspirin NSAIDs during early pregnancy is associated with a statistically significant risk (2.4-fold increase) of having a spontaneous abortion," said Dr Anick Bérard, lead author of the report which is published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

These latest findings back up NHS advice that pregnant women running a fever, or requiring pain relief, should avoid Ibroprofen and use paracetemol instead, particularly during the first and third trimesters of pregnancy.

Source:

Telegraph, NHS

.

Everything helps in these tough times! 

The list from the Office of National Statistics showed the top five names for girls were Olivia, Sophie, Emily, Lily and Amelia. For boys, the top five were Oliver, Jack, Harry, Alfie and Charlie.

Figures relesed at the end of last year for Northern Ireland and Scotland showed that Sophie and Jack were top of both lists.

Source:

Office of National Statistics

The research, published in the European Heart Journal, suggests that a child has a 15% higher chance of developing heart disease when they are older, if their mother smoked during pregnancy. 

Smoking while pregnant lowers a particular type of cholesterol known as HDL which is known to protect against coronary disease.  Researchers in Australia found that children whose mothers had smoked during pregnancy had a 10% lower level of HDL than those whose mothers had not smoked.

David Celermajer, Scandrett Professor of Cardiology at the University of Sydney, who led the study, said: "Our results suggest that maternal smoking ‘imprints’ an unhealthy set of characteristics on children while they are developing in the womb, which may well predispose them to later heart attack and stroke." 

Amy Thompson, spokeswoman for the British Heart Foundation, added:  "Smoking during pregnancy poses many other well established risks to women and their unborn babies, and this study adds to that evidence. Stopping smoking has huge health benefits, so if you smoke and are pregnant, or plan to be, contact your GP for advice and support to help you quit.”

Source:  NHS/Telegraph

Both seats came top of their categories, beating around 20 other car seats on the market.  Last year, the Kiddy Energy Pro seat (which is still available) was a winner following the same tests, and was given a Which? award in 2010.  

The Kiddy car child car seats are designed using innovative technology, with a high priority given to safety, as well as comfort.  The seats use specially designed material which helps to absorb the shock experienced in the event of a car crash, reducing the effect of  the accident on the child. The Kiddy designs also provide a high level of side impact protection.

All six of the Kiddy child car seats, Kiddy Energy Pro, Comfort Pro, Guardian Pro, Guardian Pro 2 and Cruiserfix Pro have also been approved for use on aircraft anywhere in the world.

The Kiddy child car seats are available to purchase online at www.olivers-baby-care.co.uk.

Source: Kiddy.

The warning comes from the Baby Products Association which says some second hand baby gear can put your child's life at risk.  It says that despite the current economic climate, with people struggling to make ends meet, families should not try to economise by buying second hand car seats, cots, prams or pushchairs. 

Second hand car seats for children and babies are a particular risk as the seat may have been involved in an accident before, which may have weakened the frame or fittings. Another risk with a used child car seat is that  it no longer has its original fitting instructions.  As a result, the seat may then be fitted incorrectly into the new owner's car.

Robert Anslow, Managing Director of the BPA, said: “More than 100,000 children are involved in car crashes every year and it is clear just how crucial a fully functioning and safely secured car seat is. Generally a car seat will be used numerous times each day for many years and the BPA can’t stress enough the importance of buying new from a retailer who can provide expert product advice and the correct fitting instructions, which in the event of an accident, could save their child’s life.”

There are also dangers in buying a second hand pram, buggy or pushchair, as the frame may be distorted or the brakes and locking devices faulty. Used cots or cotbeds also present a risk, as they may have missing components or fittings and no longer comply with current safety regulations.

Source:

BPA / Nursery Online

Real Nappy Week is an annual promotion week, now in its 15th year, run by the not-for-profit group Go Real  (The Real Nappy Information Service). The organisation aims to provide information about reusable nappies to parents and other interested parties including local authorities.

This year, the campaigning week is entitled 'Real Nappies: Share the Secret' and aims to encourage parents who are using real nappies to share their experiences with others to help dispel the myths that washable nappies are difficult or inconvenient to use.

New research by Go Real suggests that nearly 50% of women would now consider using real nappies for their baby.   Go Real estimates that families can save around £500 per child if they use washable nappies, compared with disposable nappies.

Source:  Go Real.

The study, carried out by the universities of Oxford, York, Essex and University College London looked at the feeding habits of 10,037 mothers and babies in a major study known as the Millennium Cohort Study. 

The behaviour of children up to the age of five was studied and 6 % of mothers whose babies were breastfed reported behavioural problems, compared with 16 % of babies who were fed formula milk.  The behavioural problems included anxiety, clinginess, restlessness, lying and stealing.  The researchers adjusted their figures to take into account that more babies from higher socio-economic backgrounds tend to be breast fed, but said there was still a 30% higher incidence of behavioural problems in formula fed children.

"Our results provide even more evidence for the benefits of breastfeeding," said Maria Quigley of Oxford University, who led the research. "We just don't know whether it is because of the constituents in breast milk, or the close interaction with the mum, or whether it is a knock-on effect of reduced illness in breastfed babies. But it does begin to look like we can add fewer behavioural problems as another potential benefit of breastfeeding."

She added that breast milk contains large quantities of a particular type of fatty acid, as well as growth factors and hormones, which are important for the development of the brain and nervous system.

The research is published in the journal Archive of Diseases in Childhood.  In recent years numerous studies have shown that breastfeeding has many health benefits for babies.

Source:  BBC News,

Olivers Babycare has two fabulous Limited Edition pushchair packages, in a stunning black and multicoloured design. Available only while stocks last

Choose between the:

Limited Edition Q Design Quinny Zapp Xtra Buggy & Pebble Car Seat

Special Price £380

Limited Edition Q Design Quinny Buzz 3 Buggy, Dreami Carrycot & Pebble Car Seat, Buzz Footmuff

Special Price £745

Also new at Olivers Babycare in is the Maxi Cosi Noa buggy - a lightweight, compact fold up pushchair in a selection of bright colours. Perfect for a small car boot or to take on the aeroplane. Suitable from 3 months old. Just £150.

There's 20% off the following:

• Kub Haywood Glider chair and footstool
• Kub Sherwood Glider chair and footstool 
• Kub Arden Glider chair and footstool
• Kub Walda Cot and Nursery Collection
• Kub Madera Cot and Nursery Collection

Order before 31st May 2011 to get your 20% off.

Kub is an environmentally friendly manufacturer, using timber from sustainable forests and non toxic water-based finishes. The Kub nursery furniture is good quality and hard wearing, with pretty designs that are timeless and stylish.  

A study published in the Proceedings of National Science suggests that the longer a baby suckles, the bigger their brain is likely to be. 

Researchers at Durham University studied 128 mammals, including humans, to see if there was a link between brain size and length of breastfeeding. "The findings support the theory that brain development and breast feeding are linked," said study author Professor Robert Barton. 

This latest research follows another recent study which reportedly showed that children who were breast fed did better in literacy and numeracy tests at the ages of 5, 7, 11 and 14. 

Source: Telegraph, NHS

The figures show that the number of women having babies in their thirties has increased by more than 50% over the past two decades.  Also, that the number of women having babies in their teens or twenties has fallen.

The ONS figures show that in 1990 there were 229,400 pregnancies among women over 30 in England and Wales, 12,000 of which were conceived by those in their forties. By 2009 there were 356,300 conceptions in this group, a rise of 55 per cent, with the number among women over 40 more than doubling to 26,800 although 29 per cent of these ended in abortions.

Experts say the reason for the trend to older motherhood is that women are concentrating on their careers before having children, and also waiting until they are more financially secure. 

Elizabeth Duff, a senior policy adviser at the Natural Childbirth Trust, said: “The rising numbers of women conceiving for the first time in their 30s or 40s follows a trend we have seen over the past decade, although the number conceiving over 40 is still relatively small. Many older women who are fit and well can go on to have a straightforward pregnancy and birth, and a healthy baby."

Source:

NHS, ONS, Telegraph

Offering really great value is the Baby Elegance Elegant Cream Nursery Set which includes a cotbed (which can convert into a junior bed), chest of drawers and wardrobe, all made from high quality beech wood. These are all lovely pieces of nursery furniture in their own right, and will look fabulous in any style of room decor, modern or traditional.

Buy the Elegant nursery set for £1,150.  There's also the option of adding some extra items of coordinating furniture - baby changer, toy box, tall shelving unit and a wall shelf.

Also new at Olivers Babycare is the Baby Elegance Co Co High Chair. This versatile, contemporary highchair, complete with wipe clean cushion, has adjustable height settings, a removable food tray and the ability to rotate 360 degrees.  The CoCo highchair is available for £119.00.

And look out for the Baby Elegance Zippy Cot Bed sheet. This is such a great idea.  A sheet that can be zipped onto the mattress. No more bunched up sheets at one end of the bed. And it's perfect for travel cot bed mattresses, with their shiny surfaces - so difficult to get a sheet to stay put on these!  Great value at £17.00. 

Figures released by the Office of National Statistics show the under-18 conception rate for 2009 fell by almost 6 % with 38.3 conceptions per 1,000 women aged between 15 and 17. This is a fall of 5.9 per cent on the previous year’s figure, the steepest drop for 20 years.

The success in reducing teenage pregnancies has been attributed to the Labour government's 10 year teenage pregnancy strategy which ended last year. There are concerns among members of the Family Planning Association that the number of young mothers may now start to rise again, without this programme in place.

Source: ONS, Telegraph

The review of 14 different studies on IVF treatment in 10 countries will reassure couples that their chances of conceiving a baby will not be reduced even if they are finding the IVF treatment emotionally draining.  The 14 studies involved 3,583 infertile women who were assessed for stress and anxiety before treatment started. The resulting number of those who became pregnant was no different from those who were not considered to be stressed.

The review of the studies was carried out at Cardiff University and the University of Thessaloniki in Greece. Spokesperson for the researchers, Professor Jacky Boivin, said: “Women having fertility treatment do worry that stress can affect their chances of becoming pregnant. A lot of them will be having to take time off work to fit in medical appointments and this can all add to the mental pressure they are under. But our findings show that there is no reason for them to fret even more that any difficulties they are facing may prevent them from becoming pregnant. They can at least relax about that.”

Infertility is thought to affect about 15% of women of child bearing age. Around 30% of those who start fertility treatment give up because of the stress it causes.  

Source:  Daily Telegraph, NHS.

The magazine carried out tests on Group 0+ child car seats in its March 2011 issue using three sets of parents to test the seats and report back with their findings. 

Tests on the infant carriers were carried out on products from six companies, and the Britax Baby-Safe Plus SHR 11 came highest, scoring 4.5 out of 5 in the tests which looked at value, practicality and quality. 

The parents who carried out the tests said the following about the Baby-Safe Plus SHR II:  "Sturdy with a reassuringly safe feel. It’s versatile, fitting onto any of the current Britax pushchair range and is seat belt, ISOFIX or standard base compatible. An excellent all rounder offering value for money." 

The Britax Baby-Safe Plus SHR II includes the innovative D-SIP® feature, a unique patented technology that provides superior protection in the event of a side impact crash.
 

The Britax Baby-Safe Plus SHR 11 is available from Olivers Babycare.

Source: Nursery Online, Mother and Baby.

A study carried out by researchers at University College London, and published in the British Medical Journal, has suggested that babies (in developed countries) should be given some solid food before the age of six months to ensure they have enough nutrients in their diet and to avoid suffering from iron deficiencies. The authors of the report suggest that the advice that babies should only have breast milk during this time is now only relevant for developing countries where water quality is poorer and there is more risk of infection. 

The authors of the report, who are all experts in child health and nutrition, have called for the UK government to update its advice on infant feeding. They stress they are still in support of breastfeeding, but for four months exclusively rather than six.

The suggestions in the report are out of line with recent guidelines issued by the World Health Organisation in January 2011, recommending that babies everywhere should be breastfed exclusively until they are six months old.

Source: WHO, NHS

One reviewer who had just bought the Kiddy Infinity Pro car seat, wrote the following:

"I wanted to post about the great service I received from Olivers Babycare. I ordered the seat (for £139.99 plus free postage - best price I could find online) on Monday, had a call on Tuesday asking whether I would be in on Wednesday, because if I was, they would dispatch it. Such a pleasant change for a company to actually care whether or not you are in to receive their delivery!

Anyway, I'm delighted to recommend the company if you're looking for this seat."

Source:

Mumsnet.

Pushchairsand Strollers category, from birth - winner, Maclaren Techno XT.

Three Wheelers - winner, Baby Jogger City Mini.

Backpacks- winner, Bushbaby Premier.

Car seats from 9 months - winner, Kiddy Comfort Pro.

Travel Cots - winner, Littlelife Arc 2 Travel Cot.

Baby Bouncers - winner, Baby Bjorn Babysitter Balance.

Breast Pumps - winner, Medela Swing Pump.

Portable High Chairs - winner, Phil and Teds Me Too.

Sterilisers - winner, Avent Microwave Steam Steriliser.

Source: Mumsnet 2011 awards.

The study by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists warns that women over 40 are more likely to suffer a miscarriage than give birth to a baby. 

The report, which is published in the medical journal Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, also says that women over 35 years old are 6 times more likely to have problems conceiving than women aged 25. It points out that men's fertility is also far lower in their 40s than their 20s.   

More women are now having babies later, while they pursue a career first. Almost 27,000 babies were born to women over 40 last year compared with 9,336 in1989.

David Utting, Speciality Registrar in Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Kingston Hospital NHS Trust and co-author of the review, said: “Clear facts on fertility need to be made available to women of all ages to remind them that the most secure age for child-bearing remains 20-35."

Source:  Telegraph. NHS

The Phil & Teds Sport V2 and the Phil & Teds Classic V1 have now been discontinued, but any customers who are still using them are invited to go to the Phil & Teds website and order their free hinge kit which consists of a plastic hinge cover which can be slotted into place over the affected hinge. 

Please go to: www.philandteds.com/recalls and click on the link 'online order form'.

In a letter to customers, the CEO at Phil & Teds, Campbell Gower, said:

"Firstly, we'd like to reiterate that both buggies are absolutely safe when used according to the instructions, and only the sport v2 and classic v1 models are affected, (please see the information that follows for clarity on identifying affected products). We don't yet know exactly how the incidents occurred, but either the frame lock is not engaged and the buggy unexpectedly unfolds, or the customer has a finger inserted in the hinge during unfolding.

"Although the number of incidents is few – thank goodness – we've taken the decision to announce the recall to repair, which will take the shape of us making free hinge cover kits available to all sport v2 and classic v1 owners.

"We are always seeking ways to improve the function and safety of products through our 'continuous innovation programme', and the resolution in this case is no different. We're extremely proud of our safety record and proactive attitude to product improvement."

Buggy identification methods:

1. The Sport V2 and Classic V1 were manufactured between April 2008 and June 2010                                             

 2. Affected serial numbers (located on the inner face of the main hinge, underneath the seat): 

    a. Sport V2 affected serial numbers - 0308/0001 to 0510/0840

    b.Classic V1 affected serial numbers - 0308/0001 to 0510/0906

3. The strollers have the codes 'SPv2' (sport v2) or 'E3C' (classic v1) printed on the wrist safety strap attached tp the stroller handle.  

Source; Phil & Teds

A study published in The British Medical Journal has reported the results of DNA blood tests carried out on more than 700 women, some from Britain, which accurately predicted those mothers carrying babies with Down's Syndrome. 

The tests were carried out by researchers at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, other institutions in Hong Kong, the Netherlands and the UK. Further research into these tests is now likely to be carried out. 

Down's Syndrome occurs in around one in 800 women in the UK, with older mothers more at risk.  

Source:NHS, BBC News

The study by Care Facility, in Nottingham, part of the biggest private fertility treatment care provider in the UK,  found that a soya oil based substance called Intralipid, used to feed patients who cannot eat normally, can also help women to conceive, by resolving problems in their immune systems. 

The research involved 100 women who had suffered repeated IVF failures.  Around half of the women were given Intralipid and half were not. Pregnancies were achieved in around 50 % of those receiving Intralipid, with two miscarriages, compared with 8.7 % cent in the other group. 

Dr George Ndukwe, Medical Director at Care Nottingham, said: “Every day in my clinic I see women who have endured numerous IVF cycles all with the same negative outcome and no baby. I also regularly see couples who have suffered the misery of repeated miscarriage. We are devoting our attention to finding answers when nature goes wrong. This infusion is inexpensive, well tolerated and easy to administer.”

His findings have been presented to the British Fertility Society.

Source:

Daily Telegraph

Recaro's Young Profi Plus won the Best Car Seat (Newborn) Group 0 and 0+

Maxi Cosi's Pearl and FamilyFix Base won the Best Car Seat Group 1 

Britax's Evolva 1-2-3 Plus won the Best Car Seat Group 1,2,3

In a new category in the awards, Best Car Seat Group 2, 3, Sunshine Kids won the Gold award with their Monterey car seat.

All these child car seats are available at Olivers Babycare.

Announcing the ban, John Dalli, European Commissioner in charge of health and consumer policy, said: "Parents can be sure that as of mid-2011 plastic infant feeding bottles will not include BPA. This is good news for European consumers."

In the European Union, there have been a number of calls for BPA in baby bottles to be removed, including from the National Childbirth Trust in the UK.

Chief Executive of the NCT, Belinda Phipps, welcomed the ban. "When you put liquids into a bottle - particularly hot liquids or liquids containing fatty liquids - it leaches out of the plastic. And particularly as the bottle gets older and it gets more scratched, more and more leaches out and into the liquid." She said that when a baby drinks from a bottle which contains BPA, the baby absorbs the leached chemical into its fat.

But some scientists in the UK have criticised the ban. Professor Richard Sharpe, of the Medical Research Council's Human Reproductive Sciences Unit at the University of Edinburgh, said the commission's decision had been made on political, rather than scientific, grounds.

"I do not know of any convincing evidence that Bisphenol A exposure, in the amounts used in polycarbonate bottles, can cause any harm to babies as not only are the amounts so minuscule but they are rapidly broken down in the gut and liver. Babies have the necessary enzymes and are able to metabolise bisphenol A just as effectively as adults."

Source:

Independent, BBC News

The list of favourite baby names is published annually by the Office of National Statistics. It shows that in the boys' names, Jack has fallen to number two spot after being the top favourite for 14 years. In the girls' names, last year's number one, Olivia, stays at the top.  

Top ten boys' names: Oliver, Jack, Harry, Alfie, Joshua, Thomas, Charlie, William, James, Daniel.

Top ten girls' names: Olivia, Ruby, Chloe, Emily, Sophie, Jessica, Grace, Lily, Amelia, Evie.

Source:

Office of National Statistics

In an American study of 560 women aged around 35, who were seeking fertility treatment, those with O type blood appeared to have a lower egg count and lower egg quality than those women with other blood groups. In the British popoulation, the most common blood types are O (44%) and A (42%).   

The researchers looked at the level of a hormone called FHS, which they found at a higher level in women with blood type O. The presence of FHS at this level appeared to be an indicator of poor egg quality.   

Dr Edward Nejat who led the research at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York said: "Those with blood type O were twice as likely to have an FSH level over 10 than those with blood types other than O. We found that women with the A blood group gene were protected from this effect."

Fertility groups in the UK welcomed the study saying anything that  might help couples to avouid the need for fertility treatment was good news.

Source:  Daily Telegraph, BBC

The study carried out in Finland indicated that the timing of birth could be linked to the development of food allergies in particular eggs and milk. Researchers believe this may be linked to the foetus' exposure to allergens at a crucial point of development, at a time when the pollen count is high, during the spring.

In children aged under four, it was found that positive allergy tests were more common for those born in October and November, compared with June and July. 

The study was carried out by a number of Finnish organisations and published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

Source:  Nhs

Now 85 years old, Cambridge physiologist Professor Edwards worked alongside the late Patrick Steptoe to develop the technology which allowed an egg to be fertilised outside the body and re-implanted n the womb. The groundbreaking work led to the birth of Louise Brown, in 1978, the world's first test tube baby.

Mike Macnamee, Chief Executive of Bourn Hall, near Cambridge, the IVF clinic which Professor Edwards founded, said:

''Bob Edwards is one of our greatest scientists. His inspirational work in the early '60s led to a breakthrough that has enhanced the lives of millions of people worldwide."

Source:Telegraph, NHS

Researchers studied the results of emotional, behavioural and cognitive tests on 11,513 children aged 5 years old, and compared them with their mothers' recollection of how much alcohol she had drunk during pregnancy. Researchers concluded that there were no noticeable effects on the child's behaviour if the mother drank only very lightly during pregnancy, (one to two units of alcohol per week).

This study was carried out by researchers from University College London, the University of Essex, Oxford University and the University of Warwick. The research was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council and results of the study were published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

Current government advice is that pregnant women should avoid alcohol during the first three months of pregnancy. Beyond that, a safe level of alcohol consumption has not been established. 

Source:  Daily Mail, NHS

The research, published in the journal Nature, was carried out by the University of Cambridge and the University of Nottingham, and funded by various organisations including the British Heart Foundation, The Wellcome Trust and the UK Medical Research Council. 

Scientists studied the production of the hormone known as angiotensinogen that constricts blood vessels and can lead blood pressure to rise.  It has not been known previously how this happens, but researchers have identified two kinds of angiotensinogens, 'oxidised' and 'reduced'. They found that in pregnant women at risk of pre-eclampsia the levels of the oxidised form of the hormone were very high.

"When we looked at the blood samples, we were immediately able to identify eight of twelve women with pre-eclampsia," said Professor Robin Carrell, a co-author of the study.

The results of the research will help doctors working to find ways of treating pre-eclampsia. 

Source: Guardian, NHS

The study, led by the University of Colorado, the University of Puerto Rico and two research centers in Venezuela, follows previous research showing that caesarian-born babies are twice as likely to have food allergies as those born naturally.  The results of this latest study were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.

The new research suggested that babies born vaginally would have more natural resistance to disease, thought to be because they pick up more of their mother's bacterial properties via the birth canal. Researchers took swabs from a small number of newborn babies and their mothers, aged between 21 and 33. The babies born naturally had a higher level of their mother's bacteria on their skins compared with the other babies.  

More than one in four babies in the UK are born by caesarian, often for health reasons for the mother or baby.

Source:  NHS, Daily Telegraph, Daily Mail.

Bambino Mio has won this prestigious award seven times since 2002, with the award being made based on votes by parents.  This latest award comes after Bambino Mio reached the milestone of 40 awards for its easy to use cotton nappies.

Marketing Manager at Bambino Mio, Genevieve Adam, said: ‘We are overjoyed to have received this prestigious award from Prima Baby Magazine. Not only because we have continued to win it since 2002, but as it is voted for by consumers it is a strong indication that customers are happy with our products and that we are recognised as a trusted brand. This award is a great reminder to parents that our reusable nappy system is simple and reliable and confirms our position as the market leaders in the UK.’

 

The Bambino Mio real nappies are available to purchase online through Olivers Babycare.

Source:  Nursery Online, Bambino Mio

The researchers carried out tests on more than 40 restaurants in the United States, and found bacteria including e-coli and staph eureus, which can cause serious illnesses in babies and young children. The amount of bacteria per square centimetre was in many cases more than would be found in the same surface area on a public toilet.   

The research was conducted by Microban, makers of anti bacterial products, across a range of restaurant types. Dr Nicholas Moon, Director of Technical Affairs, who was in charge of the research, said:

'The test results varied considerably and while some of the high chairs were relatively clean, others had concentrations of bacteria as high as 1,200 bacteria per square centimetre, which is worrying.  This is of concern because a child’s immune system tends to be far less robust than an adult's and children tend to touch things and put their hands in their mouth a lot – so they easily infect themselves with any germs they encounter."

For parents who are concerned about high chair cleanliness, there is of course another option. Take your highchair with you to the restaurant!

One of our best sellers at Olivers Babycare is the Me Too clip on travel high chair from Phil & Teds. This can be clipped onto the side of most tables. Another option is the Grobag Chair Harness, which can be slipped over an existing chair. Both these portable toddler seats are suitable from around 6 months. They are easy to fold up and put into your bag. 

Source:  Daily Mail.

The clever, easy to empty, toddler potty was awarded Gold in the Most Innovative Product Under £10 category and in the New Product to Market category of the awards presented by Practical Parenting magazine. 

The Pourtypotty was also awarded Silver in the Toilet Training category of the Practical Parenting Awards 2010 and Silver in the 'Childcare Category' of the Practical Pre-School Awards 2010. 

The product was launched in February 2010 by a father, Jon Rathbone, who gave up his career as a corporate lawyer to market the Pourty Potty.

Jon Rathbone said: “We are delighted to have received so many awards for our product. We knew it was a great product, not only because of the great feedback we have received, but also because we use it every day potty training our third child. We are especially pleased that the Pourty is considered the best new nursery product of 2010, and the most innovative."

Source: Nursery Industry, Pourty Potty

Go Real, the Real Nappy Information Service, has written to all MPs seeking their support in promoting the use of washable nappies instead of disposable nappies, 90% of which end up in landfill sites.  A new report by marketing research organisation Mintel, says that in 2009, only 5% of babies were using real nappies. 

Chief Executive of  Go Real, Joh Rolls, urged the government to give more attention to the issue of disposable nappies going to landfill sites. 

"In areas where money has been identified either, nationally or locally to fund Real Nappy projects and awareness schemes, participation rates of up to 25% have been achieved.  But as the market of new parents constantly changes it will require a consistent and sustained approach across the UK to see a real behavioural change. 
 

“If anything the (Mintel) report is a very clear message to Government, who are currently conducting a review of waste strategy, that in order to tackle the sizeable waste stream, that disposable nappies represents, Government needs to support existing services and networks and help Go Real to ensure there is a consumer choice.”

 

Olivers Babycare, a member of Go Real, sells a wide range of reusable washable nappies, suitable from birth to potty training.   

Source: Go Real

The research carried out at the University of New South Wales suggests that the chance of having a boy is 56 in 100, compared with 51 in 100 during natural conceptions.

The Australian study reported in the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology looked at nearly 14,000 births following fertility clinic treatments in Australia and New Zealand between 2002 and 2006.

This study suggests that for every 56 boys born thanks to IVF treatment, there are likely to be only 44 girls.

Source BBC News

The findings of this study support previous research suggesting there are many health benefits for babies that are breast fed, compared with bottle fed. This study suggests that partial breastfeeding, combined with some bottle feeding, does not pass on as many health benefits to the baby as exclusive breastfeeding.

The study was carried out by researchers at the University of Crete and published in the Archives of Diseases in Childhood.  The health of 926 babies was tracked over 12 months, with only 91 babies being breastfed for the entire 6 months. These babies had significantly fewer infections than their peers.

Breast milk contains antibodies passed from the mother, as well as other immunological and nutritional factors that help the baby fight off infections.

Source:

BBC News  

The research looked at the experience of 86,957 families over a period of 14 years, and concluded that one in five men suffered from depression while their child was growing up. Around 3% suffered depression during their child's first year (compared to a figure of 13% for women), and around 10% of men had bouts of depression by the time their child reached four years old.  By the time their children were 12 years old, 21% of fathers had experienced depression.

The research also suggested that men whose partners suffered from Post Natal Depression were more likely to suffer from PND themsleves. Other reasons for the depression included financial pressures, extra responsibilities and lack of sleep.

Source:

Guardian, Daily Mail.

Pre-eclampsia raises blood pressure, can lead to strokes and even death, but it is currently impossible for doctors to predict which pregnant women it is likely to affect. In the UK, pre-eclampsia affects about 5 % of women expecting a baby.

A team of scientists studied women taking part in a number of international trials, correctly identifying many of the women who later went on to develop pre-eclampsia. The scientists detected 45 particular compounds linked with metabolism, that were different in the women that later suffered from pre-eclampsia.

"Everything we know about this condition suggests women do not become sick and present with pre-eclampsia until late in pregnancy, but the condition originates in early pregnancy,' said study leader, Professor Louise Kenny, from University College Cork, Ireland.  "To develop effective treatment and prevention strategies - our ultimate goal - we need to be able to start treatment in early pregnancy. We need to be able to tell who is at risk and who is not."

"In the next five years our aim is to develop a simple blood test that will be available to all pregnant women that will detect the risk of pre-eclampsia in early pregnancy," added the study's co-writer Phil Baker, at the University of Alberta, in Canada.
 

The researchers want to produce a single blood test that will be cheap and accessible to hospitals.

Source:

Daily Telegraph

 

"We love the names that they have chosen, Florence Rose Endellion, and we were thrilled to hear that the baby made her arrival in the West Country.   With our Head Office in Devon we have something of a soft spot for the South West ourselves," said Olivers Babycare owners Julie Baughan and Nick Coombes. 

"The birth of every baby is a special event, and we send our very best wishes to little Florence and hope that the whole family with enjoy and treasure the early weeks with their new baby." 

Olivers Babycare are sending a gift to 10 Downing Street for baby Florence Cameron, a selection of Limited Edition Itti Bitti real nappies, including one with tiger stripes.  

Researchers from Oxford University, the US National Institutes of Health and Ohio State University carried out the study which is published in the journal Fertility and Sterility.

The study followed 274 healthy women who were trying to get pregnant and looked at the levels of two stress- related proteins in the saliva, alpha-amylase and cortisol.  The findings suggested that women with high levels of alpha-amylase were 12% less likely to get pregant during their fertile days during a particular month than those with lower levels of this chemical.

Dr Cecilia Pyper, of the National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit at the University of Oxford, said: "This is the first study to find that a biological measure of stress is associated with a woman's chances of becoming pregnant that month. The findings support the idea that couples should aim to stay as relaxed as they can about trying for a baby."

The research was part of a larger study looking at the effects of factors such as smoking, alcohol and caffeine on pregnancy.

Source BBC News, NHS

A study of 30,000 women carried out at the University of Aberdeen showed that women actually had a higher, rather than lower, chance of a successful pregnancy if the baby was conceived within six months of a miscarriage. 

The findings are published in the British Medical Journal. The researchers looked at data from women between 1981 and 2000 who had a miscarriage in their first pregnancy and then went on to become pregnant again. 

The study showed that women who conceived within six months of their miscarriage had a lower chance of another miscarriage or an ectopic pregnancy, and also had a lower chance of a caesarean or a low birthweight baby, compared with women who waited longer than 6 months after a miscarriage to conceive again.

Mary Newburn, Head of Research and Information at the parenting charity the National Childbirth Trust, said: "It will be very reassuring to many women planning a pregnancy in their 30s or 40s to know that if they miscarry they do not need to wait before conceiving again."

Around one in five pregnancies ends in miscarriage before 24 weeks, a risk that increases with age. Current guidelines from the World Health Organisation recommend that a woman who has miscarried should wait six months before trying to conceive again.

Source:  BBC News, British Medical Journal

The research by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists looked at two previous studies on the effects of coffee on 1,000 pregnant women. 

Dr William Barth, Chairman of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists committee on Obstetric Practice, said: "I think it's time to comfortably say that it's OK to have a cup of coffee during pregnancy."

The Food Standards Agency in the UK currently advises that women drink no more than 200mg a day  -  also equivalent to four cups of tea. In the past there has been concern that drinking coffee poses health risks to the developing baby and increases the chance of miscarriage or premature birth.

The study of more than a million women was carried out at McMaster University in Canada. The researchers found that women who were overweight had a 30% chance of going into labour early. The more overweight the mother was, the more premature the baby was likely to be. Those with a body mass index over 35, the equivalent of a 5' 6" woman weighing just under 16 stone, were 82 percent more likely to give birth at 33 weeks. 

The researchers also found that once in labour, obese or overweight women were more likely to face complications such as pre-eclampsia or blood clots.

Source:  Daily Mail, Daily Telegraph.

Researchers at University College, Cork, in Ireland, studied 55,000 births and found that teenagers are 93% more likely to give birth earlier than adult women.  The study also showed that girls who got pregnant a second time before they were twenty, risked having another pre-term baby. The researchers studied women aged between 14 and 29 in the North West of England.  The findings are published in the journal BMC Pregnancy and Birth.

Dr Ali Khashan who took part in the research said, "It is possible that the increased risk of poor pregnancy outcome is related to biological immaturity. It is also possible that the increased risk of poor pregnancy outcome in the second teenage pregnancy is related to numerous complicating factors such as greater social deprivation and less prenatal care."

Premature babies are usually defined as babies born before 37 weeks of pregnancy. These babies are more likely to die within their first year or to suffer from more health problems during their lives than babies born near their due date.

Source:  Daily Telegraph

Amelia Hope Burden weighed just 1lb 2 oz when she was born. Her brother Arthur was born 10 days later, weighing 1lb 4oz. Their mother Amanda Staplehurst from Bournemouth had gone into hospital with stomach pains and had been amazed to be told that she was in labour.

When Amelia was born, she did not appear to be breathing, but doctors were able to revive her. Both babies are now reported to be making good progress.

The case is expected to give more weight to the campaign to reduce the 24 week abortion limit.  If babies are born earlier than 24 weeks, under existing law, doctors do not have to try to keep them alive, unless they feel it is in the baby's best interests. 

Premature babies are more likely to suffer from health problems during their lives, than babies born near their due date. 

Source:

Daily Mail.

The move follows the decision by major car seat manufacturer Britax to stop the manufacture of its Britax Horizon booster cushion.  Under current UK law, children below a height of 135 cm (4' 5"), approx 12 years old, are required to use a child booster seat in the car. However, these seats, or booster cushions, do not have to have a high back. 

Recently, Which? magazine called for backless car booster cushions to be phased out after research showing  that as many as 1 in 4 car accidents is a side collision, and side collisions account for 20% of child car seat crash fatalities. 

Richard Headland, Which? Car Editor said;  "Which? welcomes Britax's decision to stop selling its booster cushions, and is calling on other manufacturers to do the same. While backless booster seats are better than nothing, they simply don't provide enough protection."

Commenting on the decision by Olivers to sell only high backed booster cushions in future, co-owner of Olivers Babycare Julie Baughan said:  "Child car booster cushions are still legal, and comply with British safety requirements, but they do not offer so much protection for the child.  We want to be sure that all the child car safety booster seats that we sell offer the maximum, not the minimum, protection for the child. The recent research highlighting the large number of side impact collisions has confirmed in our minds that we should no longer sell the booster cushions. We applaud the call from Which? for manufacturers of child car seats to stop selling car booster cushions."      

Olivers Babycare has a wide range of high back child car booster seats, suitable up to the age of 12 years, including the award-winning Kiddy Discovery Pro Car Booster Seat and the Recarro Monza Booster Seat.  In a recent Which? survey the Maxi Cosi Pearl (with familyfix base) earned the top score of 74% in the toddler up to school-age category. The Maxi Cosi Pearl is also available at Olivers Babycare.

Commenting on the service offered by Olivers Babycare, the website's Mother and Baby section says:

Olivers Babycare is our No 1 choice for Babycare, with a wide range of high quality Baby & Nursery products from Pushchairs & Travel Systems to Bedroom Furniture and the great news is Olivers delivers its products worldwide including the large items....Olivers Babycare do their best to fit as much as possible in a single box to keep your postage costs down e.g. a cot & mattress would be in 1 box but a Travel system would have to be 2 boxes. We have always been pleased with the good value we have achieved through buying with Olivers Babycare & the shipping costs are easily covered by the savings of ordering from a reputable UK company....

We highly recommend Olivers Babycare & their customer service has been exceptional both before & after our purchases.

Please note, that Olivers Babycare are unable to deliver to the USA and Canada.

Source:  www.uk4me.co.uk  

Tess is married to radio DJ and TV presenter Vernon Kay and they have two daughters - Phoebe, born in 2004, and Amber, born in 2009.  In her book, The Baby Diaries, about her experiences of pregnancy, birth and motherhood, Tess highlights a number of baby products she found particularly useful, in her chapter called 'Baby Paraphernalia'.

"One thing we did get, that I think is worth mentioning because it was such a genius buy, was a Samsonite Pop-Up Travel Cot. It is lightweight, packs away to almost nothing and pops out without the faffing that so often comes with travel cots..  It is only suitable until around six months, after which we used a conventional travel cot, but for the first few months it came in really handy and is definitely one of my star baby buys since having the girls.”
 

The Samsonite Pop Up Travel Cot Bassinette is a lightweight baby cot, that can be stored in a small cotton bag. Ideal for nights away from home or short holidays, and available from Olivers Babycare. 

The Nuk Vapo Rapid Electric Steam Steriliser is half price at just £22.49.  Suitable from birth, this NUK baby bottle steriliser will sterilise up to 6 bottles in just 8 minutes. Ideal for Nuk, Avent and most other brand baby bottles. 

Nuk baby bottles, soothers, teats and baby feeding accessories are all reduced in price at Olivers Babycare.

Only while stocks last!

Visit www.olivers-baby-care.co.uk

The Mumsnet Best award, from the Mumsnet review website, is based on comments from parents, with the award going to the baby product with the highest number of good reviews from users of the Mumsnet site.    

"Wow, what a fantastically simple yet brilliant idea, combined with luxuriously soft towelling,” said one of the parent reviewers, “my baby and I just loved it. Every newborn should be given the chance to snuggle into a Cuddledry towel.”

Helen Wooldridge, founder and Director of Cuddledry said,  “we are absolutely thrilled to be given this award for the third year running. We get such great feedback from parents – we know they love the apron towel – but it’s fantastic to have that formally recognised!”

The Cuddledry Baby Bath Towel is available from Olivers Babycare, price £24.95.

New research by Which? suggests that nearly half of all children aged 4 - 12 are at risk of serious injury if the car they are travelling in is hit from the side. Children of this age, and below a height of 135 cm (4' 5"), are required by law to use a booster seat, but it does not have to have a back.  Which? researchers found that 17% of children of this age used no booster seat at all, while 30% used a seat without a back. These seats offer no protection for a child who lurches sideways in a side-on crash.  Around one in four car crashes involves a side-on collision.  

Peter Vicary-Smith, Chief Executive of Which?, said,  "Every year in the UK, around 30 children under 12 years old are killed while travelling in cars, and a further 300 are seriously injured – kids might pile the pressure on parents not to have to sit in a full-sized child car seat when they get a bit older, but it could mean the difference between life and death. Nobody who has seen the footage of a side impact collision would choose to use a backless booster seat – while they're better than using no car seat at all, they simply don't provide enough protection."

Olivers Babycare has a wide range of child car seats, suitable up to the age of 12 years, including the award-winning Kiddy Discovery Pro Car Booster Seat and the Recarro Monza Booster Seat.  In a recent Which? survey the Maxi Cosi Pearl (with familyfix base) earned the top score of 74% in the toddler up to school-age category. The Maxi Cosi Pearl is also available at Olivers Babycare.

Source:  Which?  Guardian

The guide, from the Human Fertility and Embryology Authority is called 'Getting Started - Your Guide to Fertility'. The booklet gives advice on how to choose a clinic, what treatments are available, including IVF, what questions to ask the clinic, and where further support and information can be obtained. 

Launching the new guide, Professor Lisa Jardine, Chair of the HFEA, said, “There is no more personal decision than the one to start a family. Many people also have to come to terms with fertility problems. When you’re considering fertility treatment, it can feel as though every answer leads to more questions. The choices available can make it a very confusing time. This new guide, along with our website, aims to help make the decisions people need to make on their journey through fertility treatment less complicated.”
 

Susan Seenan from Infertility Network UK welcomed the new fertility treatment guide, saying, "We speak to people every day who are looking for information about the treatment they are considering. It’s important that people have independent, clear information to help them with the many choices they need to make. The new HFEA guide will be an invaluable resource for the thousands of people who seek fertility treatment every year.”

The guide can be downloaded or ordered from http://www.hfea.gov.uk/order.html 

More information is available at www.hfea.gov.uk

Source: HFEA

The Pourty Potty was highlighted in the Baby Club section of the programme earlier this year, which looks at great new gadgets that make parenting easier. Since the appearance of the Pourty Potty on television, a string of consumer magazines and parenting websites have given the toddler potty rave reviews.

"I think it is great value for money... it is the easiest potty I have used," said a reviewer on BabyWorld. "This is by far the best potty size we have tried," adds Bizziebaby.co.uk  "The Pourty is also a lot more comfortable to sit on."

"We have trialled the Pourty and think it is brilliant - there is no spilling when tipping into the toilet, they are easier to clean and far sturdier than other potties previously used," said a spokesperson for Buffer Bear Nurseries. 

The Pourty Potty is available to purchase at Olivers Babycare.

Source:  Nursery Industry

Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, announcing the move, said the coalition government believed that society would be strengthened by giving people more control over their choices.  He said, "we believe in the informal networks between people that provide families with support, as well as the strong sense of community identity that helps make children feel secure. So it should come as no surprise that this agenda is being driven from the heart of government.

"This group will identify specific policy proposals that will make the biggest difference to children and families, tackling a hardcore of everyday bottlenecks that frustrate family life to give parents the freedom they need in the first place."

Mr Clegg is understood to be looking at ways that parents can be helped, with particular emphasis on grandparents, work-life balance and schools. The task force is expected to report its conclusions by the end of 2010.

Source:  Guardian

"Our top scoring travel system has a reversible seat, manoeuvres well and scored highly in our public transport test, as it's narrow enough to push down a bus gangway," says Which?  The Oyster pushchair scored 80% in the test, the highest of all the pushchairs tested.

The Oyster pushchair was launched by Babystyle in 2009, and has won widespread praise. "I am extremely proud and pleased to yet again receive such an accolade for this fantastic product," said Andy Crane, Babystyle Managing Director.

The Babystyle Oyster buggy is available from Olivers Babycare. 

Source:  Nursery Online, Which?

Severe morning sickness, known as 'hyperemesis gravidarum', affects around 1 in 50 pregnant women. It is much more debilitating than the normal morning sickness that many pregnant women experience, and can last for up to 22 weeks. The condition can lead to malnutrition and dehydration of both mother and unborn baby.  The babies are often born prematurely or at a low birth weight.  

Doctors from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health examined more than two million births between 1967 to 2006 for the study, published online in the British Medical Journal. The researchers led by Dr Ase Vikanes said,  'The risk of hyperemesis in a pregnant woman is threefold if the woman's mother had ever experienced hyperemesis in a pregnancy.'

Researchers admitted that they might also be environmental factors at play, such as nutritional or lifestyle factors, common to the mother and daughter.  
 

Source:  Daily Mail, NHS

 

The study, published in the British Journal of Nutrition, indicates that vitamins are particuarly important for those pregnant women who do not have a nutritious diet. The research was carried out by Massey University, New Zealand, Plymouth University, London Metropolitan University and Homerton University Hospital, and funded by the Mother and Child Foundation. The study involved 405 women from a low income area of East London. It was found that the women who were given vitamins during their pregnancy had larger babies than those who were given a placebo.

The researchers have called for a similar study to be carried out on a larger scale, but say the latest findings are consistent with research carried out on women in disadvantaged areas of the world.  

Source:  NHS, Daily Mail, Telegraph,

Maclaren said the compensation was not an admission of liability. A spokesperson from the company said,  "We are committed to fully recompense any child who's been genuinely injured by finger entrapment in one of our products. We take the safety of children very seriously." It is thought around 40 children are likely to receive compensation. The amount of compensation is not known. 

Last year Maclaren recalled a million buggies in the US, following reports that around 12 children had received injuries or amputations.  (In the US 'recall' means that customers are issued with a warning about a product.) In the UK, there was no Maclaren recall, but customers were provided with protective hinge covers.

Source:  Maclaren, BBC

And we love the super Okiedog ride-on toys for toddlers. A bit wacky and out of the ordinary - your child will adore these! The Okiedog Fropper is a child's push along bike, with a parent push handle.  The toy folds up when not in use.  The Okiedog Cheeky Chick Toddler Ride On children's bike also has a parent push handle, and a carry handle. These toys are fab - easy to play with or carry, and such fun. 

New research has suggested that babies born with (FASD), a condition caused by their mother drinking during pregnancy, are six times more likely to suffer epileptic seizures as they grow older.

Researchers from Queen's University in Ontario, Canada, studied 425 people with FASD (Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder) and found that 6 % of them had epilepsy, with 12 % experiencing at least one seizure. Only around 1 % of people in the population normally develop epilepsy.

Dr Dan Savage, neuroscientist at the University of New Mexico, who took part in the research, said:  "This report builds on a growing body of evidence that maternal drinking during pregnancy may put a child at greater risk for an even wider variety of neurological and behavioural health problems than we had appreciated before.

"The consensus recommendation of scientists and clinical investigators, along with public health officials around the world, is very clear - a woman should abstain from drinking during pregnancy as part of an overall prgrogramme of good prenatal care that includes good nutrition, adequate exercise, sufficient rest, and proper prenatal health care." 

Source:  Daily Telegraph, Daily Mail.

The study carried out at the Queen's Medical Research Institute in Edinburgh supports the theory that a woman's lifestyle during pregnancy can affect her own son's ability to father children. The research was led by Professor Richard Sharpe, one of the country's leading reproductive biologists.

His study evaluated research from all around the world showing the effects of smoking and chemical pollution on male fertility. The results indicated that damage done to a child in the womb was far more permanent than damage inflicted by chemicals in adulthood. 

The study comes as concern continues to be widespread about falling fertility levels, with up to one in 5 men suffering from low sperm counts. 

Dr Allan Pacey, a male fertility expert  at Sheffield University, welcomed the latest study saying, "this highlights the importance of women having healthy pregnancies and not exposing their baby to harmful chemicals such as cigarette smoke."

Source: Daily Mail, NHS

Source: Independent.

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority aims to reduce the multiple birth rate down to around 20%.  In some London clinics, twins and triplets account for as many as a third of all the babies born due to IVF treatments.

Around 13,000 IVF babies are born in Britain each year, including around 2,500 sets of twins and 100 triplets. There are concerns that these babies often suffer from life long health problems, and need considerable NHS input during their lives.

The new IVF rules will require clinics to use just one embryo at a time during fertility treatments. This may mean that couples need more courses of treatment before they conceive. Clinics flouting the new HFEA rules may face enforcement action including losing their license.

Last year a similar policy was introduced for IVF clinics, but there were no sanctions so many clinics ignored it. 

Source: Daily Telegraph

In an internet chat with Mumsnet parenting website, to mark Mothers' Day, Mr Brown said that new policies would include allowing fathers to stay overnight in hospital with their partners who had just given birth. 

He said the government was planning to give pregnant women the legal right to choose where they give birth, including the right to a home birth if they wanted it. He added that the government had also set a goal of recruiting 4,000 more midwives by 2012.

The plans are part of a five year reform of children's services from birth to the age of five years. 

Mr Brown said;"There's no doubt our maternity services have got better over the past 10 years, but sometimes I think we haven't done enough to make sure they provide a really personal service for mums and dads."

Source: Guardian.

In his report, On the State of Public Health, Sir Liam recommends that children carry out a 'beep test', a series of short timed runs, to assess their general level of fitness and stamina. The tests could help to reduce the risk of illnesses such as heart disease and obesity. 

The results of the tests would be available to parents and teachers. Parents of children of secondary school age, who did badly in the tests, would be sent official warnings. 

A similar system of tests is currently in use for children in California and Texas. The recommendations in Sir Liam's report will be considered by the Department of Health.

Source:  The Times

The results of the study, carried out by the University of Missouri and GenUs BioSystems Inc, were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The research on diet during pregnancy suggested that eating a full breakfast and a high fat diet around the time of the baby's conception would result in the baby being a boy.

Dr Cheryl Rosenfeld, from the University of Missouri, said,"High calorie diets generally favour birth of males over females, whereas low calorie diets tend to favour females over males."

The research was carried out on pregnant mice, and appeared to show that female foetuses were more sensitive to the mother's diet.  The latest findings tie in with research carried out two years before which suggested that a mother's diet around the time of conception could help determine the sex of her child.

Source: Daily Telegraph. NHS News.

The following information was received by Olivers Babycare from Maxi Cosi/Dorel today.

We would like to inform you of a voluntary recall regarding the Maxi-Cosi FamilyFix base.

Maxi-Cosi voluntarily recalls all FAMILYFIX bases sold before 3 March, 2010.

The issue
 

It concerns a potential problem in the mechanical attachment of the IsoFix connectors to the base. As a result, the base does not offer the child the desired level of protection in case of an accident. The issue, identified during a routine internal quality check, possibly affects a small percentage of the total production. There have been no complaints or report of incidents.

Which products are affected?
 

Only the FamilyFix base, Ref 63300080. It does not apply to the EasyFix, EasyBase (2) or any other product by Maxi-Cosi.

Consumer advice
 

Parents are advised to stop using their FamilyFix until it has been checked by a specialist nursery store. We kindly ask your assistance in allowing any base to be checked, without proof of purchase at your store.

Consumer has a faulty base, what now?

You can offer the parents a new FamilyFix immediately, returning the faulty base to us with contact details of the consumer. Parents can continue to use the Maxi-Cosi Pebble or CabrioFix infant seat with a regular seat belt.

Media announcements

Advertisements will be published in major national newspapers and through the internet to notify parents of this issue and a press release will go out to the media in general. Users of registered products will receive an email informing them of the recall.

How to recognize a NEW Maxi-Cosi FamilyFix?

FamilyFix bases dispatched from 3 March, 2010 are completely in accordance with our high quality standard. The new bases bear a green mark of approval at the bottom of the FamilyFix and a white sticker on the box of the FamilyFix

Consumer Information

Need more information? Parents can visit our website for a list of Frequently Asked Questions: www.maxi-cosi.com or call the Maxi-Cosi Customer Care 01842 767965.

Dorel sincerely regrets any inconvenience that this voluntary recall may cause and is committed to consistently delivering all of our products according to the highest quality standards. We take the trust that consumers place in our brands most seriously. We thank you for your cooperation in this recall and for your help to ensure their safety.

Information supplied by MaxiCosi / Dorel and Olivers Babycare.

Huge discounts are available on baby bottle sterilisers and bottles warmers, with prices from just £11. There are reductions on other Avent products too, including baby feeding bottles and accessories.

Avent is a trusted and well known name in baby bottles and baby feeding equipment. 

Don't miss out. Only while stocks last! 

Online at Olivers Babycare. www.olivers-baby-care.co.uk

The programme's Baby Club presenter Alison Hammond said she particularly liked the Flexi Bath for babies and toddlers, from Whole New world, which is a plastic baby bath that folds up flat. The FlexiBath is rectangular with a non slip base, and it is available in a number of colours. 

The programme also highlighted the new Dribble Ons bandana style baby bibs, from the Sock On company. The DribbleOn baby and toddler bib has a popper at the back to secure it round baby's neck, and is available in several colours. 

Both the Flexi Bath and the Dribble On baby bibs are available at Olivers Babycare.  

The Health Protection Agency has suggested that parents-to-be should balance the importance of these souvenir scans against the unconfirmed slight risk to the baby that might be caused by the scans. 

Although there are no confirmed risks linked to ultrasound scans, which have been used by health professionals for over 50 years, there are unconfirmed reports that pregnancy scans can have an effect on the baby's developing nervous system.  

So called 'souvenir scans' produce detailed 3D facial images of the unborn baby,  and require prolonged or more intense ultrasound exposure. The routine diagnostic scans used during pregnancy provide less detailed images but allow the baby's growth and development to be measured.

Source: Health Protection Agency, NHS

The so called 'egg timer' fertility test predicts hormone levels based on the amount of a specific fertility  hormone.  It can give an indication of how many eggs a woman has left in her ovaries.

The idea is that women who are struggling to get pregnant can carry out the test at home before asking for professional help. It will give them an idea of their own fertility levels, and whether fertility treatment such as IVF might be successful. 

A woman's ability to conceive declines from around her mid 30s, but the speed of the decline differs from person to person.

Fertility clinics in the UK already offer tests along these lines, but they are very expensive. This fertility tests in Australia are likely to be sold at around £38 each, and if successful in Australia, will be marketed around the world. 

Source: Telegraph

Figures from the Office for National Statistics show a 3.9% fall in the number of teenagers under 18 getting pregnant in 2008 compared with the year before. In both 2008 and 2007, around half the teenagers who fell pregnant had an abortion. 

The area with the highest number of teenage pregnancies was the North East, while the lowest was the East of England.

In 1999, the government pledged to cut teenage pregnancies by half by 2010, but these latest figures show there is still considerable work to be done before this target is reached.

Source:  Office for National Statistics, BBC News

In guidance issued for new mothers, NICE (the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence) said: "Celebrity claims of unrealistic rapid weight loss" put women under extra pressure when they were already under considerable stress. 

The guidance is aimed at healthcare workers who are involved in looking after women during pregnancy and birth. It says that women should receive more support after having a child to help them lose weight gradually through exercise programmes. 

Professor Mike Kelly, Director of the Centre for Public Health Excellence at NICE, said:  "It's important for women to understand that weight loss after birth takes time." 

Heidi Klum, the model, was back on the catwalk just 6 weeks after her fourth child was born in 2009, and she was modelling lingerie just weeks after the birth of her second child in 2005. 

Source: Telegraph

New mum Angie Baker, 33, from Peacehaven near Brighton, and her partner Lee Gibson, spent 13 years trying for a baby, before the birth of little Raiya, weighting 7 lb.

Angie said,"She's my little miracle, I can't explain how I feel, I am overwhelmed. It seems like a dream and I still have to pinch myself. She's perfect in every way." 

Time after time, Angie lost her babies during the early weeks of pregnancy. Then she heard about the work carried out by Dr Hassan Shehata at Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust who specialises in treating multiple miscarriages.

Dr Hassan discovered that she had a particularly high level of white blood cells known as HK cells which were causing the foetus to abort, making her babies miscarry. After treatment she lost one more baby through miscarriage and then finally achieved a full term pregnancy.  

Source: Telegraph

The month long campaign, called Dads at Work, has been launched by the Department for Industry, Innovation and Skills. Leaflets, and posters will be distributed to doctors' surgeries, hospitals and antenatal clinics, encouraging new fathers to visit www.direct.gov.uk/dadsatwork for detailed information about their rights to paternity leave.        

Launching the campaign, Employment Relations Minister, Lord Young, said: "Our campaign is all about making sure that dads know what they can do and to help them have more confidence as they weigh up what works best for them and their family. The key is to talk to their employer."

Research published by the government suggests 91% of fathers with children aged five years or under believe new dads should have the option of taking paternity leave, but that many fathers do not know what their paternity rights are.   

Under UK law, fathers have the following paternity rights:

• To request flexible working hours.
• Two weeks paid paternity leave.
• Up to 13 weeks unpaid parental leave if their child is under 5 years old. 
• From April 2010, fathers can take up to 6 months paternity leave if their baby's mother wants to go back to work after she has taken 6 months maternity leave. 

Source;  News Distribution Service.

The committee wants new mothers caring for their babies to be entitled to 18 weeks full pay, rather than the current European rate of 14 weeks on full pay. 

In the UK, women's maternity rights currently allow them 6 weeks on full pay, and a further 33 weeks on a percentage of their normal pay, resulting in a total of 9 months paid maternity leave.  

Business groups in the UK have warned that the increase in maternity pay could have a damaging effect on the fragile state of the economy. John Cridland, Deputy Director of the CBI, said: "At a time when economies across Europe are struggling to recover, and most treasuries are short of money, it would be highly damaging to increase the costs of statutory maternity pay."   

Lord Young, the Employment Minister, added: "We already have a generous system which is better than many EU countries, and works well balancing the needs of business and workers. A substantial increase in maternity leave paid at full or near-full pay risks undermining this delicate balance at a time when economies across the EU can least afford it."

The move to increase maternity rights will be debated by the full EU parliament and faces tough opposition before it becomes law. 

Source: Times, Telegraph

The research on babies' health was carried out at the Harvard School of Public Health, in Boston, USA, which studied the health of more than 35,000 nurses whose mothers provided information about their diets during pregnancy. Mothers who drank at least four glasses of milk a day had a lower risk of their child developing MS than those who drank less than three glasses a day.    

The research was presented at a conference in Canada.

Source;  Press Association.

It is believed this may be due to a lack of Vitamin D absorbed by their mothers during a vital stage of development during pregancy. Vitamin D is known as the sunshine vitamin, as it is largely gained through exposure to sunlight.

This latest item of baby research was carried out by Glasgow University and the city's Southern General Hospital. Their findings are published in the European Journal of Neurology. This is the biggest study of its kind carried out in Scotland, which has the highest rate of MS in the world. 

The Glasgow researchers examined data on 1,300 MS patients in western Scotland born between 1922 and 1992, and found that almost half of all male and a quarter of all female sufferers were born in April.  Those born in November had the lowest incidence of the disease.

Source: Daily Telegraph

The idea, often quoted as one of the myths of pregnancy, that a woman's brain when she is pregnant does not function as well as normal, has been strongly criticised by a study published in the British Journal of Psychiatry. A total of 1,241 women aged between 20 and 24 were tested by a team from the Australian National University who found that their brains were just as capable during pregnancy as before. 

The tests looked at the women's mental agility and memory during pregnancy and after pregnancy. Professor Christensen, who led the research, said,"Women and their partners need to be less automatic in their willingness to attribute common memory loss to a growing or new baby. And obstetricians, family doctors and midwives may need to use the findings from this study to promote the fact that 'placenta brain' is not inevitable."

Cathy Warwick, General Secretary of the Royal College of Midwives, added, "This is useful research that I have no doubt will be interesting to women and health professionals. It is about time that some research lays to rest this notion of pregnant women and the 'baby brain' myth." 

Source: Daily Telegraph  

The genetic test, called Counsyl, has been developed in America and is to be offered by the London Bridge Fertility Gynaecology and Genetics Centre. The gene test for couples wanting a baby will be carried out on a saliva sample and will be able to identify carriers of 109 conditions including cystic fibrosis, spinal muscular atrophy and sickle cell anaemia. 

It's understood the genetic screening tests will cost around £400 per person or £700 per couple.  If the tests show that both prospective parents are carriers of particular diseases, they may decide to have IVF treatment where the embroyo is screened to ensure it is healthy. 

Aound 1 in 280 births is affected by a serious genetic disease, and it's hoped  the new test can help reduce this figure. At risk groups, such as families with a history of these illnesses, can already access screening on the NHS, but this is the first test that screens for multiple genetic conditions simultaneously and is available to the whole UK population.

Source:

The Times, Bridge Fertility Clinic.

The government has announced that fathers will be allowed to take this leave once their baby is six months old. This would mean the child's mother could return to work at this point, rather than after her nine months maternity leave, and the father could take over the care. Once the baby is nine months old, fathers could then take another 3 months unpaid leave if they wish.  

The fathers would be eligible for the same rate as statutory maternity pay, currently £123.06 per week, up until the end of the 39 week maternity pay period. 

Under existing legislation, fathers are entitled to two weeks paid paternity leave, and mothers to 52 weeks leave, with up to 39 weeks paid. Parents of children aged 16 and under also have the right to request flexible working hours.

Announcing the new paternity leave, Business Minister, Pat McFadden, said, "The Government has transformed the help available to new parents with increased maternity pay and leave and the introduction of paternity leave. The balance between work and family life has changed for the better in the past decade and these changes will give parents the chance to share their leave and will give families a useful element of flexibility and choice."

Harriet Harman, Minister for Women and Equality, added: "Mothers will be able to choose to transfer the last six months of their maternity leave to the father, with three months paid. This gives families radically more choice and flexibility in how they balance work and care of children, and enables fathers to play a bigger part in bringing up their children." 

Source:

COI News Distribution Service 

"It is a big comfortable seat, which will take your child from around a year old (9 kg) to the maximum weight required in a car seat (18 kg) without feeling cramped," says Julie Baughan, co-owner of Olivers Babycare. "The seat is easy to fit even in a three door car. Unlike many car seats, the head rest can be adjusted without removing the seat. This makes it a useful seat for grand parents or child minders who may be carrying children of different ages in the car. We are looking forward to seeing the TV advert."

The King Plus Car Seat has four recline positions, an integral five point safety harness and deep soft padded side impact wings.

The award winners will be announced within the next few weeks. 

Tamzin Outhwaite, star of the BBC's futuristic police thriller Paradox, is a firm fan of her Kiddy car seat. Tamzin and her husband actor Tom Ellis have a 'Kiddy Infinity Pro' seat for their 18 month old daughter Florence."I really love my Kiddy car seat. I use it daily and find it really easy to fit each time," says Tamzin.

The German made Kiddy seats have won high praise for their innovative safety design, which includes an 'impact shield' cushion system which helps reduce the chance of injury in the event of an accident. The design has also been praised in the Which? report. 

You can buy the Kiddy car seats here at Olivers Babycare.

Source:  Nursery Industry

Figures from the National Office of Statistics showed that 2.7% of all births in the UK in 2008 took place at home, compared with 2.68% the previous year. Wales had the highest proportion of home births at 3.7%. In Scotland the figure was 1.5% and in Northern Ireland just 0.3%.

"We are very disappointed to see a lack of movement in the number of women giving birth at home, stalling the upward trend. It's a blow for mothers-to-be," said Mary Newburn, Head of Research and Information at the NCT. "The Government's 'Maternity Matters' guarantee to allow every woman in England the choice of a home birth, birth centre birth or hospital birth, by the end of 2009 is still very far from being met. And choice throughout the rest of the UK is faring no better. In order to live up to the policy commitments, much more must be done."

Research carried out by the NCT in their  'Location, Location, Location' campaign showed that the availability of home births varied greatly depending on the part of the country where the woman lived. The highest figure for home births was in the district of South Hams in Devon, where the figure was 13.6%. The lowest was Alnwick with 0.0%.

The NCT argues that statistics suggest that women who have a home birth are less likely to develop complications which require intervention. A full breakdown of statistics on homebirths is available at www.BirthChoiceUK.com

Source: NCT and National Office of Statistics.

The stunning new B-Smart and B-Dual pushchairs from Britax are now available at Olivers Babycare. These modern and versatile designs are perfect for stylish mums on the go.

The Britax B-Smart 3 and the B-Smart 4 are sporty new versions of the Britax Vigour 3 and 4. The buggy is suitable from birth and has a lightweight aluminium frame and puncture resistant tyres. The B-Smart pushchairs are also compatible with the Babysafe Sleeper, also available from Olivers Babycare.

The Britax B-Dual is a versatile 4 wheel single pushchair that can be easily converted into a buggy suitable for two children, with the addition of a second seat unit. 

Becothings, which makes biodegradable potties for toddlers, has won the 2009 HSBC Start-Up Stars Green Award.  

Toby Massey, 26, and George Bramble, 27, founders of Becothings, beat off stiff competition to walk away with the £10,000 pound prize given by HSBC.

Head of Business Banking at HSBC, Huw Morgan, said, "Becothings is an outstanding example and hopefully its success will inspire other young businesses to ask themselves what else they can do to preserve our environment and protect our future."

The Secretary of State for Business, Lord Mandelson, who attended the awards ceremony in London, added, "The HSBC Start-Up Stars represent the very best in British enterprise. Defying some of the toughest economic conditions for decades, these companies are succeeding in sectors across our economy and markets around the world." 

You can buy the biodegradable Becopotty here at Olivers Babycare.

Source;  Becothings. 

A survey of new mums has found that around a third find it 'difficult' or 'very difficult' to go back to work after taking maternity leave.

The survey by the National Childbirth Trust showed that 39% of the 1,500 women surveyed felt that their promotion prospects had been reduced since returning to work and 13% said their seniority had now reduced. Around 31% said that their relationship with their boss had deterioarated since becoming pregnant.

Belinda Phipps, Chief Executive of the NCT, said, "Mums often want or need to go back to work. Despite changes to the welfare system to encourage mothers to go back to work, and a raft of legislation for employers, the reality is many still find returning to work after a baby an incredibly daunting and difficult experience. It's time employers got a grip not just of their policies and paperwork but how to help managers talk to and support mums after what is often the most important and life changing event of their lives."

Under current legislation, employees with children under the age of 16 have a right to request flexible working hours. However the NCT survey showed that 16% of those questioned, who asked for flexible hours, were not granted their request. 

Source:  NCT

New dads are to get a special booklet provided by the government, giving advice on issues such as breastfeeding and supporting their partner after the birth of their baby. The ‘Guide for Dads’ is to be included in the Bounty pack given to all new mums.

The Dads’ Guide has been compiled by the Fatherhood Institute, which is also putting together a new guide for midwives so they can offer more support to new dads. The Dads’ Guide is one of the policies announced in the Government’s Green Paper, Families and Relationships. The idea is aimed at getting dads more involved in the early months with a new baby, because this can help to strengthen a couple’s relationships. There is evidence that if fathers are involved with their children from an early age they are more likely to continue that involvement. 

Chief Executive of the Fatherhood Institute, Rob Williams, said, "The inclusion of government-funded materials specifically aimed at dads is a huge breakthrough and reflects a major shift in public attitudes towards fatherhood in the last decade. Traditional gender roles of mother as carer and father as breadwinner are dissolving, meaning a generation of families is developing where both mum and dad play an active role in childcare." 

Source:  Fatherhood Institute 

January's wintry weather didn't stop the orders leaving Olivers Babycare, even though there was 35 cm of snow around the Devon warehouse, which prevented all normal traffic, postal services and deliveries for several days.

Local friends came to our rescue, and the bags of Olivers parcels were safely delivered to the sorting office via tractor. 

Many thanks to everyone who helped!

The research, published by the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, suggests that smoking during pregnancy significantly increases the risk of having a child with behavioural problems. The findings are based on the Millennium Cohort Study which looked at 14,000 pairs of mothers with children born in the UK between 2000 and 2001.

The mothers were categorised into light and heavy smokers, and asked a series of questions about their children's behaviour and learning patterns. Boys whose mothers smoked throughout pregnancy were significantly more likely to have behavioural problems, be hyperactive and have low attention spans than the boys of mothers who did not smoke.

Even among the mothers who smoked lightly during pregnancy, (up to 10 cigarettes per day), their boys were still 80% more likely to have hyperactivity disorders.  

Among the daughters of mothers who smoked during pregnancy, both light and heavy smokers, it was found that the children were much more likely to show behavioural problems than the daughters of mothers who did not smoke. 

The authors of the research said the findings of the study confirmed that smoking during pregnancy could damage the development of the baby's brain, with boys' brains appearing to be more sensitive than girls' brains.  

Source: Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health

A study at the University of North Carolina suggests that a chemical known as choline, which is found in pork products, is vital in the development of a baby's brain.  During the study, scientists looked at the effects of different amounts of choline on the development of brains in mice. They found that the brains developed differently, depending on the amount of choline that the mice were fed. 

The results of the research were published by the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology Journal. Editor in Chief of the Journal, Dr Gerald Weissmann, said:  "This is yet another example showing that good prenatal nutrition is vitally important throughout a child's entire lifetime."

Source: Daily Telegraph

The bed guard, which is designed to prevent a toddler from falling out of bed, was awarded Gold in the Most Innovative Product category of the awards. 

The Dream Tubes guard has won a number of awards including a Silver award in the Practical Parenting 2009/10 awards.  The Dream Tubes are available to buy here at Olivers Babycare.

Darren Millar, the member for Clwyd West, wants women to be given special parking rights during their last three months of pregnancy, and issued with pink parking badges. Mr Millar has laid out the idea in an LCA, or Legislative Competence Order, which will be debated by members of the assembly.  

Mr Millar said, "Clearly while this is not a major issue for everybody, it is something I feel strongly about. This would be a temporary arrangement entitling women in their final three months of preganancy to the same parking privileges as blue badge holders. It's just to try and help mums-to-be getting about with shopping or other children for example during what can be an uncomfortable time."

Not all members welcomed the proposals, with some saying they thought the idea was unnecessary.  The proposed LCO needs a majority vote in the Senedd to proceed.

Source: BBC News

The results of the 20 year study, carried out in the US, are published in the 2010 February issue of the journal Diabetes. The findings suggest that women who breastfeed their babies have around half the risk of developing a condition known as metabolic syndrome, which can lead to serious health problems including heart disease and diabetes.

During the study, scientists monitored 704 women, recruited between the ages of 18 and 30. The leader of the study, Dr Erica Gunderson, from the US health care providers Kaiser Permanente in Oakland, California, said, "the findings indicate that breastfeeding a child may have lasting favourable effects on a woman's risk factors for later developing diabetes or heart disease."

Source: Telegraph, Daily Mail.

The findings of a study at Edinburgh University may help lead to a new and simpler way of testing for ectopic pregnancies. 

Researchers have discovered that women with ectopic pregnancies have a low level of a protein known as Activin B. It is thought  this could be a key to early diagnosis and treatment.

An ectopic pregnancy is when the foetus develops outside the uterus, often in the fallopian tubes, putting the mother's life at risk. Ectopic pregnancies are usually terminated once a diagnosis is confirmed. But the tests for ectopic pregnancy are currently complex, involving several blood tests and ultrasound. The new research, published in the journal Reproduction, suggests the discovery of low Activin B levels in women with ectopic pregnancies could help lead to a simple test for diagnosing the condition. 

The news has been welcomed by the Ectopic Pregnancy Trust. "Studies that give us the tools to establish earlier diagnosis and improve the outcomes of treatment are essential to improve what is currently available," said the charity's Director Helen Wilkinson.

Source:  BBC News

Vicky Pachner, 26, had asked at her local station, Wadhurst Station in East Sussex, if a member of staff could help her with the buggy. "I bought a ticket and asked the lady behind the counter if someone could help me carry the buggy up the stairs and down the steps on the other side to reach the platform.  She said no one was available to help so I asked if she could or the other man in the ticket office with her. It's only a small village station so it's not as if they were rushed off their feet and really busy. Then the lady said they could not help because they were not insured."

Mrs Pachner said she could not believe they were not willing to help a new mum with a baby. Instead, another woman passenger at the platform helped her to carry the buggy up the stairs.

Mrs Pachner wrote a letter of complaint to SoutheasternTrains. In the reply, Southeastern Trains said they might have been able to help if she had removed her baby from the buggy and collapsed it. A spokesman added that  the main factor in the staff's refusal to help would have been if they thought it would affect the safe running of trains.

Source:Daily Mail

The award was among the prestigious Mother and Baby Awards, presented on 19th November. Annabel Karmel has written 19 cookery books, and is now involved in a new project to revolutionise the food offered to children at UK restaurants, cafes, theme parks and hotels.

The Mother and Baby magazine announced the award with the following tribute: "Our special accolade honours an individual whose years of work have made an outstanding difference to the lives of parents and babies.  This year’s winner is not content with having written 19 best selling cookery books for babies and children – books which at the latest count have sold four million copies in 20 different countries. Nor did she rest having started her own range of pasta and sauces for young babies, nor after collaborating with nursery specialists Lindam to launch an innovative and practical feeding range. Her latest project is tackling children’s food in restaurants and theme parks: our winner’s menus are now found at Alton Towers, Thorpe Park, Haven Holidays and Butlins. This woman is, quite simply, a force of nature."

Ms Karmel was delighted to accept the award, saying: "My mission over the last 20 years has been to improve the quality of food for babies and children and I am absolutely thrilled to win the Mother and Baby Lifetime Achievement Award.  I want to thank my team my publishers and all my partners for their wonderful support.”

Source:Mother and Baby Awards, Annabel Karmel website.

Researchers found that drinking up to a bottle of wine per week during the first three months of pregnancy doubled the risk of the child suffering from problems linked to depression later in life. Drinking in late pregnancy was more likely to cause aggressive tendencies in the child.

Two thousand women and children were surveyed by researchers at the Telethon Institute for Child Health in Australia. The women were asked about  their drinking habits and their child's health at the ages of two, five and eight years old. The study was published in the journal Addiction.

Researcher Colleen O'Leary said that the evidence clearly showed that the risks of behavioural problems increased the more the mother drank during pregnancy, and that some of the problems did not become evident until the child got older. 

The current UK government advice is that women should not drink alcohol at all during pregnancy. For those choosing to drink, this should be no more than one or two units once or twice a week.

Source:  Telegraph

Following a large number of requests from customers wishing to use PayPal as a payment media, Olivers Babycare have been happy to add this feature to the Web Site.

Unlike many other shops, we only take authorisation for payment, so your PayPal account won't be charged until your goods are ready for despatch.

This new addition of PayPal to the Olivers Babycare Web Site underlines the fact that customer suggestions and requests are taken seriously and are acted upon,anything that makes a customer's shopping experience easier and more pleasant will be looked at in a very positive way.

We approve!  In fact, this is one of our favourite car seats, which we have already awarded the Olivers ' 5 Star Seal of Approval '.

Wayne Rooney is a real car lover and any one of his current choices will give peace of mind when travelling with his family.

The Maxi Cosi CabrioFix is a great car seat for your baby, and suitable from birth. It can be used with the exisiting seat belt in your car or with an optional base either mounted using your Isofix fittings - No Isofix! the EasyBase fits into the car using the car's 3-point seat belt. The Cabriofix is available in a great range of colours. 

Take a look for yourselves!  

This report should be taken in context – these twelve incidents have been reported over the last 10 years and this is not a problem that has suddenly happened to a particular model or batch of buggies.

The US Consumer Product Safety Commission, in a joint statement with Maclaren USA, said ‘The stroller hinge mechanism poses a fingertip amputation and laceration hazard to the child when the consumer is folding/unfolding the stroller’. The CPSC said that the firm had received reports of 15 incidents of children placing their fingers into the folding mechanism during the folding process resulting in 12 reports of finger amputation.

Maclaren USA has offered the owners of its buggies in the US a free set of hinge covers to retro fit to their particular buggy, be it a small lightweight Volo or the largest buggy in the range, the Twin Techno, which will stop the potential problem. The CPSC says that this recall by Maclaren USA was made voluntarily to alert the general public of a possible hazard. It also urges consumers to stop using the buggies immediately and contact Maclaren USA for the free set of hinge covers.

This recall is not model specific and covers the full Maclaren range – Volo, Triumph, Quest, both Sport and Mod, Techno and the twin pushchairs.

Does it effect us in the U.K?

At this point in time we have been assured by Maclaren UK that no problems have been reported within the UK – both Maclaren UK and Trading Standards are happy that there is no requirement for a recall notice and that the buggies supplied in the UK do not require the hinge covers being offered to US customers.

A total of 325 babies were involved in the research carried out at 33 hospitals in the UK and also at hospitals in Ireland, Sweden, Finland, Hungary and Israel. The body temperature of these babies who had been starved of oxygen at birth was lowered by 4 degrees and researchers found that 44% of the babies did not then suffer signs of brain damage. A special cooling pad filled with fluid was placed underneath the babies' sheet to cool them down. It is suggested that slowing down the babies' metabolism reduced the effects of the trauma suffered at birth. 

The research was led by Dr Denis Azzopardi, from Imperial College in London, and the findings were published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Dr Azzopardi said, "The study builds on a 20-year body of research but gives, for the first time, irrefutable proof that cooling can be effective in reducing brain damage after birth asphyxia. Although unfortunately it doesn't work in every case, our study showed the proportion of babies that survived without signs of brain damage went from 28% to 44% with cooling treatments - that's a 57% increase."

The findings have been welcomed by the children's charity Bliss who said this "innovative technique" was already being used in some neonatal centres, and called for the technique to be used more widely. The trial data will now be assessed by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) to see whether the technique should be used in all neonatal units.  

Source: BBC News

Baby Kai was born at 2.20pm on Monday (2nd November) at the Liverpool Women's Hospital, where a spokesperson confirmed that mother and child were both fine and that the Rooneys were both thrilled with their new addition.

Coleen was widely reported as saying that although she loves her job she would very much like to settle down to full time motherhood and would quite like a family of perhaps three or four children. Coleen is the eldest of four while Wayne has two brothers.

Manchester United have a game against CSKA Moscow on Tuesday at Old Trafford and it is thought that Wayne will be excused from playing - will he watch the game on T.V. with his new son perhaps?

Olivers Babycare offer their best wishes to Wayne and Coleen.

The buggies include the Out 'n About Nipper Sport and the Baby Jogger Performance stroller series. These pushchairs are especially good for mums who want to get in shape by jogging with their baby and buggy. The article described the Nipper Sport as having "an ergonomic aesthetic that lives up to its name" and the Baby Jogger Performance as "many runners' first choice".

Both these pushchairs are available from Olivers Babycare at very competitive prices. Have a look! You could save yourself some money. 

Source:  Daily Telegraph

Janet Lehain, 31, had asked for mature cheese at the deli counter at the Sainsbury's store in Bedford. But the member of staff at the counter told her she should have a different cheese because this one was unpasturised, and not suitable for someone who was pregnant. 

In a letter of complaint, Ms Lehain described the conversation as, "the most patronising encounter I have had the misfortune of experiencing in a long time....It's the nanny state gone crazy. Someone in Sainsbury's is not a medical expert and so is not qualified to start handing out medical advice." 

In her letter of complaint Ms Lehain pointed out that the advice to avoid unpasturised cheese related to those in the first three months of pregnancy, and that she was 6 months pregnant. 

The supermarket apologised for any offence caused, and said it did not have a policy of refusing to sell any goods on the ground that they might be harmful to pregnant women.

Source:  BBC News

The latest findings, published in the Journal of Psychiatry, suggest a link between smoking during pregnancy and psychotic behaviour experienced later by the children, such as hallucinations.  

Researchers at Cardiff, Nottingham, Bristol and Warwick universities carried out a UK survery of 12 year olds, and found that those whose  mothers had smoked were 20% more likely to have psychiatric probllems. The link was 84% stronger in cases where the mother smoked more than 20 cigarettes a day during pregnancy. 

The research was part of a long-running study known as the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children looking at how genetics and the environment affects health. Researchers said the findings added more weight to the argument against smoking during pregnancy - about 15% of pregnant women still do not give up the habit when they conceive.

Source:  BBC News

Proposals announced by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, will allow fathers to take up to 6 months paternity leave, with 3 of those months paid.  The leave can be taken during the second six months of a child's life.

"Mothers will be able to choose to transfer the last six months of their maternity leave to the father, with three months paid. This gives families radically more choice and flexibility in how they balance work and care of children, and enables fathers to play a bigger part in bringing up their children," said Harriet Harmen, Minister for Women and Equality. 

She said that the scheme had been designed to minimise the impact on businesses, effecting around just 1 % of small businesses.

The new scheme is due to come into effect for parents of babies born on or after 3rd April 2011.   Dads are currently entitled to 2 weeks paid paternity leave, and mums to 52 weeks leave, 39 of them paid.  

Source: COI News Distribution Service

The boy's father is quoted as saying that his son is taking his responsibilities very seriously. "My son is mature for his age and will make a good father. He went to all the antenatal classes and did what any expectant dad would do. He is mature for a 13 year old and know what he is about.  He will make a better dad than most 25 year old fathers."

He added, "he was a bit shocked at first but now he's chuffed to bits. He will carry on with his schooling and get a basic  grounding before he looks for a full-time job."

The boy is reported to have a part time weekend job to help support his family.

Source:  Daily Mirror

It is thought that the child's excessive size is the result of Glucose excess from his mother during pregnancy.

Akbar goes into the record books by beating Indonesia's previous heaviest baby who weighed in at a lightweight 14.7 lb back in 2007. 

We have been informed of changes happening at Boori with the delivery and assembly prices going skywards.

When purchasing items from the top branded nursery furniture company Boori, you have been and still can take advantage of delivery and assembly being free for multiple items ordered at one time.

But from October 5^th all orders will incur a delivery charge with an additional charge if you would like the furniture assembled.

Also the Walnut finish is being discontinued from the range; a Soft White has been added to the colour choice, which includes Heritage Teak, English Oak and Solid White.

The programme showed a series of 'tests' focussing on the stability of buggies when loaded up with shopping, their manoeuvrability, the effectiveness of locking devices and harness restraint systems. 

In a letter to the programme, Peter White, the Chief Executive of the BPA said, "Whilst we appreciate that the ‘testing’ was carried out as a form of entertainment, we object to several of the ‘tests’ and have strong objections to the manner in which they were conducted....given the positioning of your show as a serious consumer awareness programme such a feature was both non representative and irresponsible."

The letter added that the tests ignored safety warnings provided by the manufacturers as well as the relevant British Safety Standard.

Source:  BPA

The study published in the International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology suggested that drugs used to reduce bleeding after birth, and to limit pain during labour, could reduce the milk flow after birth. This in turn could lead to the mother rejecting breast feeding because she found it too difficult. 

The Swansea team analysed data on more than 48,000 women who gave birth in South Wales.They found use of the drugs oxytocin or ergometrine to cut the risk of haemorrhage was associated with a 7% decline in the proportion who started breastfeeding within 48 hours of giving birth.

Patrick O'Brien, consultant obstetrician and spokesperson for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, said the study was interesting, but more follow ups were needed. He said it was possible that women who refused drug therapy might also be more likely to breastfeed. "This small possible effect on breastfeeding has to be balanced against the beneficial effects of these drugs, which are known to reduce the risk of heavy bleeding after birth from 18% to 6%. At the moment, I would say the benefits of using the drugs outweigh the theoretical downsides."

Source;  BBC News

Baby Oliver was conceived using a new IVF technique known as Array Comparative Genomic Hybridisation (Array CGH), that allows doctors to check eggs for chromosomal defects before fertilization. The most potentially viable eggs are then selected.

The new technique gives hope to thousands of women with a history of failed infertility treatment of multiple miscarriages. Simon Fishel, Managing Director of the CARE Fertility Group in Nottingham, who treated the Oliver's parents, said: “Oliver’s birth is an important landmark in shaping our understanding of why many women fail to become pregnant.”

Source: BBC News, Times

The research was carried out at the University of Nevada-Reno in the US and looked at the loss of vitamins during bottle feeding, using both expressed breast milk and formula milk. The results were presented at the European Academy of Paediatrics Conference in Nice, and published in the International Breastfeeding Journal.

The findings suggested that the amount of air in a bottle, and the shape of the bottle, could have a detrimental effect on the level of vitamins in the milk.  The study showed that during a simulated 20 minute bottle feed, the amount of Vitamins A, C and E declined. In the most extreme cases, there were almost none of these vitamins left in the milk towards the end of the feed.   

The research was carried out by Dr Jimi Francis and revealed that oxidation, caused by exposure to air, reduced the amount of vitamins in the milk. Bottles with a vented shape, such as those made by Dr Brown's prevented the loss of nutrients more than other shaped bottles. In this design, air is channelled from the teat through the vent system bypassing the milk to the back of the bottle,

Dr Brown's bottles are available to buy online at Olivers Babycare.  

Source:  Dr Brown's, Nursery Online

Frontline health care and social workers, and people in at-risk groups will also be among the first people to be offered the vaccination, according to an announcement by the Health Secretary Andy Burnham.

The vaccination programme is expected to begin during the autumn, subejct to the vaccine being licensed.  The vaccinations will be administered by GPs.  It is expected that patients will receive two doses of the vaccine, although this advice may change.

 The UK will be one of the first countries to receive a supply of swine flu vaccines.

The research was carried out by Johnson's Baby and the charity Tommy's which has released the research as part of its 'Lets talk baby campaign'.  

Tommy’s midwife Sharon Broad said, "Eating curries or drinking raspberry leaf tea will not, unfortunately, induce labour. There is no evidence to support this. Carrying a baby boy with your pregnancy bump all at the front, damaging your baby’s skin by drinking coffee or hurting your baby by sleeping on your back are also modern myths."

"This research continues to highlight the many different stories and myths on pregnancy," added Sharon. "For example, pregnancy can be an excellent reason to start exercising. Although it’s important to start off slowly, exercise will help your body to be in the best possible shape to cope with labour and giving birth."

The survery also revealed that 1 in 3 women were unsure about what foods were safe to eat during pregnancy, and that a similar number did not know how long they should take folic acid.

Tommy's is a charity which funds scientific research ensuring more babies are born healthy.  It is a source of free, reliable, information to all mums-to-be.

Source: Tommy's

Latest figures from the Office of National Statistics, for 2008, show that the birth rate per woman in the UK rose to 1.95, the highest since 1973. The biggest rise in fertility was among women over 40, where there was a 5% increase in the birth rate.

There were a total of 708,708 live births in 2008, compared with 690,013 in 2007.

Infant mortality was the lowest ever recorded. There were 3,370 infant deaths (under one year of age) registered in England and Wales last year, giving a rate of 4.8 per 1,000 births. (By comparison, the rate was 151 per 1,000 in 1901 and 30 per 1,000 in 1951.)

Source: Office of National Statistics. Guardian.

After suffering 9 miscarriages over 17 years,  Catherine Findlow aged 41, from Runcorn, gave birth to a baby boy at Liverpool Women's Hospital.

Mrs Findlow suffered from a rare condition where her body was producing too many so called 'NK cells' which caused too much oxygen to be produced in the uterus. Doctors at Liverpool Women's Hospital were able to treat the condition with steroids and Mrs Findlow managed to carry her baby, Daniel Robert, to full term. The baby was delivered by Caesarian section at 37 weeks.

Source:  Liverpool Echo

The Scottish Spina Bifida Association says more than twice the usual number of children have been born with spina bifida this year in Scotland. The charity is warning that with unplanned pregnancies, starting to take folic acid when the pregnancy is discovered is too late. 

Spina bifida causes vertebrae in the backbone to develop incorrectly, leading to paralysis and nerve damage. "The spinal cord develops within the first four weeks of pregancy so by that stage it's too late. If the baby's going to have spina bifida it will already have developed it," said Dr Margo Whiteford, Chair of the SSBA.

The comments by the SSBA follow research earlier in the year showing that only a tiny fraction of women planning a pregnancy were taking folic acid. The research carried out at the University of Southampton, and published in the British Medical Journal, showed that only 3 % of women with a planned pregnancy were taking folic acid. 

Official guidelines recommend that women planning to have a baby should take 400g of folic acid per day. This is said to cut the risk of having a baby with spina bifida by 80%.

Source: SSBA, BMJ, Telegraph

The favourite girls names were Olivia, followed by Ruby, Emily, Grace, Jessica, Chloe, Sophie, Lily, Amelia and Evie.The favourite boys names were Jack, then Oliver, Thomas, Harry, Joshua, Alfie, Charlie, Daniel, James and  William. 

Mohammed came in at number 13, but some experts are suggesting that if all the different spellings of the name were taken into account, the name would have risen to number 2 in the list.

Here at Olivers Babycare, we are of course delighted to see Oliver and Olivia so high up in the lists! 

Source: Office of National Statistics.

Source: Daily Telegraph  

We have now ventured in to the World of Facebook - all very exciting as we are new to the Facebook World! We would love you to become a fan of our Facebook so we can put a face to the name and order number!

If you have pictures of your little one using any items purchased from us we would love to see them - be it car seats, pushchairs, highchairs, toys or being protected by a safety product, simply upload it to our Facebook Photo Album!

You will also need to keep your eyes peeled as we will be offering vouchers and special discount for our Facebook Fans!

Simply search for Olivers Babycare in your Facebook search bar and you will find us!

A survey from the NHS Information Centre showed that 8,641 pregnant women gave up smoking in 2008-9, 12% fewer than those quitting smoking in the previous year. 

Policy Advisor for the Royal College of Midwives, Janet Fyle, commented, 'it is disappointing to see the figures going in the wrong direction. There is ample evidence on the impact of smoking on the health of the pregnant mother and child, and we advise all women who are pregnant or trying to conceive to do their best to give up smoking."

Royal College of Midwives
 

Olivers Babycare is proud to have teamed up with leading pregnancy magazine, 'I'm Pregnant', to offer a full list of names for girls and boys, which will feature on the recently upgraded Olivers Babycare website.  The list includes a huge selection of well loved favourite names as well as plenty of unusual names. 

Olivers Babycare already sponsors the lists of baby names published in I'm Pregnant Magazine.  "We are very happy to work with such a respected and well read pregnancy magazine," says Julie Baughan, co-owner of the company.

"I'm Pregnant magazine is a great source of information for mothers-to-be, with plenty of well researched articles and useful information about pregnancy and the early months with a new baby. Olivers Babycare already sponsors the Baby Names pages in the magazine, and this latest venture will only strengthen our relationship."

A Tunisian woman from the Arabic town of Gafsa is reported to be in the late stages of pregnancy and expecting 12 babies following fertility treatment.

The woman's husband,a teacher,had been reported as saying that the couple were expecting twins
but to receive the news that his wife could be carrying as many as 12 babies was an 'amazing and wonderful miracle'
While it is not thought that all 12 babies will survive we wish the couple all the very best of luck in the coming months.

"We recommend parents to keep their child in rear-facing infant carriers for as long as possible and not to switch to a more convenient forward facing seat at the earliest opportunity. However, most parents globally will eventually make the change because rearward facing child car seats are simply impractical in most situations. They take up a large amount of room in the car, usually necessitating the front seats to be moved forward, and they don't even fit in some smaller cars.

"Although rearward facing is arguably the safest travelling position, most of us prefer not to travel that way. It reduces the growing child's ability to interact with those in the front seats, to look around and see where they are going. This may result in social and developmental problems.

"The most effective way to improve child safety in car seats is to ensure that the child is correctly fitted into the seat and the seat is correctly fitted into the car. The BPA's research has shown that an incredible 75% of children's car seats are fitted incorrectly, which, whether forward or rear facing, means the child is in danger should a collision occur.

"Buying a car seat from a shop with trained fitting staff is simply the best way to ensure your car seat is right for your car and the parent is trained to fit and re-fit the seat correctly."

The Olivers Babycare store in Winchester is approved as an 'Excellence' centre by car seat manufacturers Britax. This means that our staff are fully trained in car seat fitting.

BS 8510:2009 specifies the minimum performance requirements for articles intended as sleep bags for babies of 4 kg or more. The new standard gives minimum performance requirements for chemical hazards, thermal hazards, entrapment, entanglement, choking, ingestion and suffocation hazards, structural integrity and flammability. 

The standard does not relate to baby gros or sleep suits, or articles used to keep babies warm in pushchairs.  

Sash Newman, Chief Executive of BackCare, said, "A pushchair is one of the most important pieces of baby equipment a parent buys - they will be using it constantly for years, not just months. If you choose one that has the wrong handle height for you, is too heavy, or is difficult to fold and lift then you could be storing up some real problems for the future." 

Following the result of the survey, BackCare and Maclaren created a 'Top Ten Tips' on choosing the right pushchair:

A report from the Confidential Enquiry into Maternal and Child Health (CEMACH) showed that the number of still born babies in 2002 was 5.7 per thousand. 

The latest figures available, for 2007, show the figures had dropped to 5.2. The number of stillborn twins has fallen by a similar amount. Stillborn births are defined as babies that die after 24 weeks of gestation.

The European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology gathered information from 1,230 women attending IVF clinics across Europe. Of these, the largest proportion (31.8 per cent) were from Italy, followed by Germany (14.4 per cent), the Netherlands (12.1 per cent) and France (8.7 per cent). The UK was sixth on the list, providing 4.3 per cent of travelling IVF patients.

Experts in Britain warn that women may be putting themselves at risk by going abroad for IVF treatment. In the UK it is normal for only one, or at the most, two embryos to be emplanted. In some European clinics up to three embryos are routinely emplanted. This carries with a greater risk to the mother during the pregnancy. 

Emily Bates, who is 29, had three embryos emplanted at a clinic in Istanbul. In Britain, doctors are only allowed to implant a maximum of 2 embryos because it increases the risk of problems during the pregnancy.

Mrs Bates, and husband Simon, sought IVF treatment outside Western Europe, after Mrs Bates miscarrying following her first course of IVF under the NHS, and then declining further treatment because of the conditions attached. 

The babies, three girls and a boy, were delivered at 30 weeks gestation at Addenbrooke's hospital in Cambridge. The smallest of the babies was 2lb 6oz, the largest was 3lb 6oz. Mrs Bates said,"I always dreamed of having four children... but I never imagined I would have four at the same time."

Hundreds of British women every month are estimated to travel to clinics across Europe and further afield for fertility treatment they cannot get at home. Doctors have warned that the NHS is picking up the tab for caring for babies born from IVF treatments outside Britain. Babies from multiple births often have health problems. It has been estimated for example that the cost of treating triplets within the first year of their life is approximately 10 times that of a single child, in part because of increased risks of certain diseases like cerebral palsy.

Dr Alastair McKelvey, from University College Hospitals Foundation Trust, who led research into IVF treatment abroad, said: "Couples are understandably desperate to have children and may think that these treatments are a quick-fix or a good bargain, without considering the potential adverse outcomes. In fact they may not be properly counselled about the risks - both to them and the babies. These risks are real and potentially serious. There are genuine concerns about complications such as cerebral palsy and even maternal death."

The figures from Ofsted show the number of childminders has fallen by 14% since 2001, (with nearly 5,000 leaving the industry in the past year), putting the total number of childminders in the country at around 95,000 in 2009.  

The Early Years Foundation Scheme set up in September 2008, introduced development targets for babies between birth and starting school. This required children to be formally assessed on their ability to perform certain tasks. 

"It is going to be a real struggle for hard-pressed parents to find good, affordable child care," said Annette Brooke, the Liberal Demoncrat spokeswoman on childrren's issues. "Government meddling, particularly the introduction of the bureaucratic so-called 'nappy curriculum' is putting people off being childminders."

The National Association of Childminders is worried that its members are quitting because they are expected to record children's progress through the goals and their paperwork can be inspected by Ofsted.

But Children's Minister Dawn Primarolo, said it was 'nonsense' to suggest the EYFS had driven childminders from the profession. "The EYFS is about learning through play, it doesn't prescribe teaching methods for young children or any kind of testing whatsoever," she said. "It simply sets a series of goals so that parents and nursery staff know whether a child is developing properly."

Dr Irena Nulman, from The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Canada, said, "Our findings suggest an association between morning sickness and improved neurodevelopment in the offspring." She said that more research was needed to understand the range of effects caused by the common condition. "Morning sickness is a widespread and puzzling physiological phenomenon that has yet to be sufficiently studied," she added. 

The study followed 121 women who were pregnant between 1998 and 2003. The IQ levels of their children were tested between the ages of seven and three.  Other factors were also taken into account, such as the mother's IQ, how much alcohol she drank during pregnancy and her socio-economic status. 

Scientists believe that the sickness could be a by-product of changes in the levels of certain hormones, known as HCG (human chronic gonadotropin) and thyroxine, during pregnancy.These fluctuations help the body to ensure that a woman's placenta grows properly, delivering vital nutrients to her baby.

"We are confident that the new website offers something new and rather special for our customers," explains co-owner of the business Julie Baughan. "Our Olivers Babycare website operation started in 1996, three years after we opened a baby products shop in Winchester. This year, we felt it was time for a new, modern look for the website,” continues Julie, who runs the business with her partner and co-owner Nick Coombes, with the help of their two daughters Emily and Laura, and a dedicated team of staff, some of whom have been with the company for many years.

“We are a family company, with a lot of experience of both retailing and of course parenting, and our new website reflects this. The design is bright, fresh and customer friendly. The website offers a number of facilities and extras that we did not offer before. These include the ability to compare the specifications of similar products, such as car seats, as well as clearer, larger images, and a new system of reviews where customers give products a star rating.”

Also new on the Olivers website are ‘wish lists’ and for the first time a bookmarking facility, where customers can bookmark their favourite products on Facebook, My Space, Twitter and StumbleUpon.  Visitors to the Olivers site can also read testimonials from other customers.  

This brings the rate in line with car safety seats which have been liable for 5% VAT since May 2001, rather than the normal VAT rate of 17.5%. 

The change in VAT represents a fall in price of the Isofix car seat bases of around 10%.

“We are pleased to be able to offer these car seat bases at a more reasonable price,” explains Julie Baughan, co-owner of Olivers. “This reduction in VAT is long overdue, and most welcome. We hope it will encourage more families to buy a base with Isofix fittings, as this is the most secure and safest way to fit your child's car seat into the car."

The research was carried out by the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research in California and published in the journal ‘Human Reproduction’. Scientists interviewed about 800 women during their 10th week of pregnancy and found that 41 % reported significant or severe symptoms of depression. Compared with women who were not depressed, the mildly depressed had a 60 per cent higher chance of having a pre-term delivery. Women classified as severely depressed had more than twice the risk.

Lead researcher Dr De-Kun Li said that a woman's mood could potentially influence hormone production, which in turn could affect the working of the placenta.

Premature babies, those born before 37 weeks into the pregnancy, are more likely to need time in special care units in hospital, and are more likely to have health problems later life.

Co-owner Julie Baughan has received an Inspiring Women award from the Women in Micro Enterprise project, run by the Community Council of Devon., winning the Most Established Business category.

Julie said she was thrilled to accept the prize. “To be acknowledged in a new county, Devon, after only being here a little over a year is a tremendous tribute, not just for me but for the whole team at Olivers Babycare who have worked so hard. It is the first time we have entered awards of this sort, and I am delighted and honoured that we have been chosen as the winners of the Most Established Business category.”

This is the third award to have been given to Olivers Babycare in three years. The company was one of the regional winners in the Retailer of the Year Awards 2008 run by the Baby Products Association. In 2007, Olivers Babycare won Best Small Business category in the Hants Web Awards.

Neal Long, Chief Executive of Sands, for too long these deaths have been ignored and yet there is compelling evidence to suggest that many babies' lives could be saved with better antenatal care, increased funding for maternity services, more midwives and increased funding for research. We want to see action now to save babies' lives.

The report said half of all stillbirths are of babies who die for apparently no reason, the majority in 'low-risk' pregnancies.

The report added that there are ten stillbirths and seven neonatal deaths a day, a total of almost 6,500 a year, ten times more than the number who die from cot death each year in the UK.

Previously, the right to ask for flexible hours only related to parents with children under 6 years, or with a disabled child under 18.

Pat McFadden, the Employment Relations Minister, said, This is about balancing work and family life... Fewer mothers change jobs when they return to work meaning greater continuity for businesses and more employees have been able to work hours which help them cope with parental responsibilities.

Firms can still say no if they have legitimate business concerns, but more than 95 per cent of all requests for flexible working from working parents and carers are now accepted, as employers recognise the benefits more and more.

Parenting doesn’t end as children get older. Extending the right to request will help more parents get the flexibility they need. The business benefits of flexible working are well documented and this remains the case in tougher economic times.

A US study has suggested that women who breast feed their babies for at least a year are less likely to suffer from heart disease, heart attacks and strokes. It also suggests that breast feeding for as little as a month can help protect mothers from the risk of diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

The research is published in the journal, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, and was carried out at the University of Pittsburgh. It focussed on 140,000 post-menopausal women, and indicated that the benefits of breast feeding can last for decades.

The research has added to the growing body of evidence showing that breast feeding can help protect the health of the mother in later life. This is in edition to numerous pieces of research showing that breast feeding has many health benefits for babies as well as mothers.

Researcher Dr Eleanor Bimla Schwarz said: We have known for years that breastfeeding is important for babies' health, we now know that it is important for mothers' health as well. Breast feeding is an important part of the way women's bodies recover from pregnancy. When this process is interrupted women are more likely to have a number of health problems (including heart attacks and strokes). The longer a mother nurses her baby, the better for both of them.

In the UK, the Department of Health recommends exclusive breastfeeding for six months.

The game was removed after two days, with Apple apologising for its “deeply offensive” nature. Apple issued an apology saying, “This application was deeply offensive and should not have been approved for distribution on the App Store … We sincerely apologize for this mistake and thank our customers for bringing this to our attention.”

The game has produced outrage from children’s groups and brain injury foundations in the US and further afield. “Not only are they making fun of Shaken Baby Syndrome but they are actually encouraging it, said Marilyn Barr, founder of the National Centre on Shaken Baby Syndrome. And a charity that helps prevent injury to babies from Shaken Baby Syndrome, The Sarah Jane Brain Foundation, called for ‘a personal apology’ from Apple chief executive Steve Jobs.

The aim of the game was to quieten babies by shaking the iPhone until a pair of thick crosses appeared over each eye of a baby, suggesting that the baby had been killed. The description on the game included the words, See how long you can endure his or her adorable cries before you just have to find a way to quiet the baby down!

The Baby Shaker game was designed by Sikalosoft and sold on the online Apple itunes store for around $1.40. Text displayed next to the game in the online store read,” On a plane, on the bus, in a theatre. Babies are everywhere you don't want them to be! They're always distracting you from preparing for that big presentation at work with their incessant crying. Before Baby Shaker there was nothing you could do about it.

This is a trend that Olivers Babycare, online baby products retailer, is seeing more and more. “What the product looks like is top of the agenda for many of our customers,” says Julie Baughan, co-owner of Olivers Babycare. “Buyers are certainly influenced by the products that celebrity mums are using, in particular pushchairs. Customers want baby products that look great, in addition to working well.

“We find that new parents are still managing to afford the items that they want for their baby, despite the difficult economic climate,” continues Ms Baughan. “Families are making savings in other areas rather than cut back on their budget for their baby. People really do want the best for their baby, and somehow they are finding the money to buy the items they want. This may also be to do with the fact that many women are having babies later in life, and have a higher disposable income.” The Mintel report shows that the average age of a first–time mum is now 29.5 years old.

According to the Mintel report, the UK baby and nursery market grew by 20% between 2003 and 2008, and was worth £639 million last year. The report predicts that this growth will continue, despite the recession, reaching an estimated £753 million by 2013. The boom in sales of baby products has been reflected at Olivers Babycare which has seen a 50% increase in sales since 2003.

The BPA, the trade body for the nursery industry, has launched a campaign aimed at the general public, and also nursery retailers, GP surgeries, ante-natal departments, playgroups and carers. The BPA is warning that buying second hand child car seats on internet auction sites such as ebay could be putting a child’s life at risk, because the buyers do not know whether the car seat has been involved in an accident or if it complies with UK safety standards.

Julie Baughan, co-owner of Olivers Babycare, said:

“We are often surprised by the risks that people will take with their own children, just to save a few pounds. At Olivers Baby Care we take baby car seat safety seriously and Not every car seat will fit every car, and if you buy second hand you will not necessarily buy the right seat for your car. Even if a car seat has been involved in a very minor bump or if it has been mishandled during storage, it can be damaged and will not protect your child in the event of an accident.

“At Olivers Babycare we have a lot of specialist knowledge about car seats, and we are always happy to give customers advice regarding baby car seat safety and about their choice of car seat. As well as the more expensive brands, we also stock a wide range of extremely good value car seats.”

The BPA’s campaign is supported by RoSPA, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, which calls on online sites to refuse to let sellers’ auction baby equipment unless the seller can provide:

• a record of purchase

• proof that the item has not been involved in an accident

• full fitting instructions

• guarantees that the seat meets the United Nations standard Regulation 44.03 or 44.04

Peter White, CEO of the Baby Products Association, said:

“As the credit crunch bites it is all too easy for families to opt for the cheapest option and go online. We have to remove the element of doubt when it comes to baby car seat safety as the alternative does not bear thinking about”.

The awards were presented at a special dinner and prize-giving ceremony at the Palace Hotel in Torquay on 5th June.

The FSB E-business awards recognise companies that show the best use of new internet developments, combined with high levels of customer service and improved business practice achieved through the use of computer technology.

The research was carried out by Dr Elizabeth Watson, a GP in Woking, and Dr Michael Monteiro, a specialist registrar at the Royal Surrey County Hospital in Guildford, who analysed existing data on car seats. They found rear-facing seats are more effective than forward-facing seats at protecting young children, keeping the head, neck and spine more aligned in the event of an accident.

The doctors also examined figures from Sweden where about three in four young children travel in rear-facing seats. The data suggested that half the children who died in front-facing seats between 1999 and 2006 could have survived if they had been travelling in rear-facing seats. In addition, the two doctors examined data from the US which also concluded that rear-facing seats were safer.

Dr Watson urged healthcare professionals in the UK to advise families to keep their children in rear-facing seats for longer, and she called on European car seat manufacturers to make rear-facing car seats for older children more available.

Olivers Babycare has welcomed the research into rear-facing car seats. “These new findings confirm what experts have been saying for some time now that young children are safer in a rear-facing seat,” said Julie Baughan, co-owner of Olivers. “That is why we were keen to stock the Recaro Polaric car seat, which is one of the few rear-facing car seats available in the UK for children up to 36lb, or four years.

“It is a superb seat, extremely comfortable, and offering your child very good protection during an accident. It is also easy to attach to the Isofix fittings in your car. It is quite a large seat though, so before ordering you need to check that it will fit into your car.

The Recaror Polaric is available to order through the Olivers website.