Baby Clues
Information & advice on dealing with babies

I love a bargain when it comes to buying things for the kids as they seem to be rather expensive so when I found a trampoline in the Early Learning Centre for £40 with a sale on (15%off) I decided to check it out. So I went into the store to enquire about the trampoline. The guy in store said that there was only the display one left so he reduced it to £20 and then called another of his colleagues to fetch the box. His colleague returns and says that he can’t find the box. So the guy who was serving me apologised for this and then reduced the already half price trampoline by another £10 so I get a £40 trampoline for an amazing £10.

Granted it was a little tricky trying to work out how to assemble the base with no instructions but I managed it. So if you want a bargain purchase the display model, it may have a few imperfections but it will be reduced in most cases.

We all know that you need to put clothes on a baby, but do you know how many layers to put on?
As a general guide babies should have 1 more layer than you, however if your baby appears cold then add more layers. It is easier to put lots of thin layers on rather than bundling your child in thick layers that may restrict mobility.

When you go out it is advisable to put a hat on your baby as like us they lose a lot of heat from their head. You may also want to cover them using a blanket or foot muff, my youngest is 11 months and even now I still apply this theory. I use a foot muff as she wriggles a lot so it was better for her to use a foot muff, although when she was 1st born I used a sleeping bag with a blanket over it as she was very tiny.

If you are unsure if your baby is warm enough you can check by putting 2 fingers under their clothes if they feel warm to the touch they are fine if they are sweating remove a layer then check again after a few minutes. If they feel cold to the touch add another layer. Another way is your child will cry if they are too hot or too cold.

Doctors at a clinic that failed to spot a broken back in Baby Peter two days before he died were under an “excessive workload”, a report has said. Peter Connelly, killed in 2007 in Haringey, north London, was seen at St Ann’s Hospital two days before he died. Dr Kim Holt, who warned about the way the clinic was run in 2006, said the 17-month-old baby could have been saved if managers had listened to her.

But the report found “genuine attempts” were made to address her concerns. Dr Kim Holt, a senior consultant paediatrician, had warned the clinic’s appointment system was “chaotic”. She was one of four who wrote a letter detailing problems at the hospital’s clinic a year before the failed diagnosis. They warned the clinic – run by Haringey Primary Care Trust and manned by Great Ormond Street Hospital doctors – was understaffed.

There had once been four doctors at the clinic, but two posts were cut before Baby Peter’s death. Since the case, the number has risen to nine. The independent report found “delays in seeing children must have the potential to affect patient safety”. It described Dr Holt as highly intelligent and committed, and added that communication between doctors and senior administrators needed to be managed “more effectively in the interests of patient care”.But it also said “genuine attempts” had been made to improve the situation after Dr Holt’s letter.

The report’s authors described the workload of consultants at the clinic between 2006 and May 2008 as “excessive” and said the consequences of cutting a consultant post “were not adequately considered” by management. They also noted complaints of a “very hostile environment” at the clinic with poor communication between staff and managers. But they concluded: “We do not consider, however, that this descended into a bullying regime.”

After the publication of the report, Dr Holt said said she and her colleagues’ concerns were about the “quality of care” given to children at the clinic. Tracey Connelly was jailed for her part in Baby Peter’s death
She said: “We followed internal Trust channels, only going outside when they had been exhausted.
“I hope now that everyone will be able to learn from this report and move on. “I also hope that in future it will be far easier for NHS staff, in Haringey or anywhere, to speak out in the interests of their patients, particularly those who have no voice of their own.” Professor Trish Morris-Thompson, chief nurse at NHS London, said: “We accept in full the findings of this independent report, and we are working with NHS Haringey to make sure recommendations are put in place.”This report shows that Dr Holt’s concerns were taken seriously.”

The British Medical Association (BMA) is supporting Dr Holt’s claim to be reinstated to her original post.
In a statement Great Ormond Street Hospital said: “The Trust welcomes the report, accepts its recommendations and now wants to move to try to resolve outstanding issues swiftly and amicably.”
It added: “The Trust has apologised for its mistakes in the care of Baby Peter and has acted on all recommendations made.

Baby Peter died from abuse despite 60 visits from the authorities. His mother Tracey Connelly, 28, her partner Steven Barker, 33, and Barker’s brother Jason Owen, 37, were all jailed for their part in Peter’s death.
Haringey Council’s social services department was heavily criticised following the killing.

This is just one instance of a clinic where a child died as a result of abuse injuries being ignored due to being short staffed. This is just one of many, indicators that the NHS needs to be reviewed

Cradle cap is the name given to the yellowish, greasy scaly patches that appear on the scalp of young babies. It is a very common, harmless condition that does not usually itch or cause any discomfort.It usually begins in babies during the first three months and tends to last a few weeks or months. It normally clears up by the time the child is two years old, although in rare cases children can have cradle cap for a lot longer. The exact cause of cradle cap in unclear, although it is thought that it could be caused by overactive sebaceous glands.

Symptoms of cradle cap include:

• greasy yellow patches on the scalp,
• the affected skin area appearing red
• scales and flakes on the scalp,
• yellow crusts on the scalp.

There is a possibility that the child will have hair loss when the patch falls off or is removed. It is important not to scratch or pick at the cradle cap, in case an infection develops. It usually starts on the scalp and can spread behind the ears. The patches may appear on other parts of the baby’s body, such as the nappy area (groin), the nose, armpits or backs of the knees. In this case, the condition is called seborrhoeic eczema (dermatitis), rather than cradle cap.

Cradle cap normally requires no specific treatment, although gently washing the baby’s hair and scalp may prevent a build-up of the scale. To help to loosen the crust, massage a small amount of olive oil into the scalp at night. This will help to soften the patchy scales. In the morning, using a soft baby brush or cloth, gently remove any loose particles, and then wash the hair with a baby shampoo.

If this does not work then try a mild shampoo but be careful with baby’s eyes as these shampoos are stronger than baby shampoo. If the cradle cap becomes inflamed or infected, a course of antibiotics or an antifungal cream or shampoo, such as ketoconazole, may be prescribed by a doctor. A mild steroid cream such as hydrocortisone may be recommended for an inflamed rash.

If the cradle cap does not improve with treatment, or the baby has seborrhoeic dermatitis on the face or body, speak to your health visitor or GP for advice

We all know that when you have kids you cant take your eyes off them; sometimes when you do funny things happen as demonstrated in the article don’t take your eyes off them but sometimes tragedy occurs. One of the most recent examples of this was 18 month toddler Brad Kremer who fell from a first floor balcony whilst on holiday in Sardinia. His parents had gone to get changed when he wandered onto the balcony and fell to his death. Another is that of Madeline McCann who was abducted in 2007

So here a few tips to keep your little one safe because we all know that it is impossible to watch them every second:

• If you are in a flat or apartment ensure that there is no way that the toddler can get onto the balcony without supervision, whether you put your child in a playpen, put them in a different room or lock the door is up to you
• Never leave your child alone near water
• If you go on holiday NEVER leave your child unattended
• At the beach set clear boundaries as to where your child can go
• When out and about always arrange a rendezvous point where everyone is to go to if seperated

Whilst it is important to be aware of the potential hazards there is no need to wrap your child in cotton wool otherwise your child will be permanently living in fear.

The chemical DEET which is found in many insect repellent sprays has been shown to be toxic and can cause fits in children, the current advice is that it should not be used by pregnant women. In research studies DEET blocked the enzyme cholinesterase, which is essential for sending messages between the muscles and the brain which can cause muscle spasms and in severe cases death. Other side effects of DEET are excessive salivation and eye watering.

DEET, is also known as diethyl toluamide, and is used in a many repellent sprays. Initially it was thought that the DEET simply altered the insects sense of smell to prevent them from detected the smell of the human. However on further study it was found that it acts on the enzyme which is present in both insects and mammals. Therefore the idea that it simply modifies insect behaviour is false as it directly inhibits enzyme activity in both mammal and insect nerves, research also shows that DEET interacts and strengthens the toxicity of carbamates, a class of insecticides also known to block acetylcholinesterase.

This research raises questions with regards to the safety of insect repellents, however at present it is mainly based on theory and tests on animals if you are at all concerned speak to a pharmacist or a doctor. Alternatively try alternatives from your health food shop

Parents are always ecstatic when their child is the first to do something before their peers whether it is potty training or learning to walk. So you can imagine the joy when Georgina became the youngest member of Mensa! She has an IQ of 152 which puts her in the same category as Professor Stephen Hawking.

Due to her age Professor Freeman, a specialist educational psychologist applied standard Stamford-Binet Intelligence Scale test but was amazed to find that this test was too limited for her creative abilities.
Here is a list of some of the things she can do:

• Do Ballet
• Can differentiate between a square and a rectangle
• Draw an almost perfect circle
• Use words such “arrogant” correctly in conversation
• Explain complicated words to her friends
• Can distinguish between pink and purple

If you think that’s impressive she was walking by the time she 9 months, and was able to dress herself and put her shoes on the right feet by the time she was 14 months. In Mensa there are only 30 under the age of 10. With an IQ of 152 she is in the top 0.2% of the population as a result her parents are worried about her education as she is well above the ability of her peers.

This child was raised as any normal 2 year old with 4 older siblings. So it just goes to show that you shouldn’t underestimate your child they are brighter than you think.

Private schools, also known as independent schools are funded in whole or in part by charging their students tuition, instead of being funded by the public (state). Schools claim that the high tuition fees pay higher salaries for the best teachers and also used to provide enriched learning environments, including a low student to teacher ratio, small class sizes and services, such as libraries, science laboratories and computers. Some private schools are boarding schools and many military academies are privately owned or operated as well.

Special assistance schools aim to improve the lives of their students by providing services tailored to very specific needs of individual students. Such schools include tutoring schools and schools to assist the learning of handicapped children.

This week the Charity Commission issued reports on the first batch of test cases since the law was changed to require private schools to show they are bringing “real benefit to the public”. For the schools that failed the test this is serious. They will have to address quickly what they must do to hold onto the significant tax advantages of charitable status. If they lose the charitable status they may have to increase their fees thus alienating the middle class.

It would seem that private school is the way to go but they exclude a large percentage of the population, which can limit your child’s interaction a broad spectrum of people. However it has its advantages

• Smaller classes
• Latest text books
• Up to date technology
• Better facilities

The number of NHS trusts who claim that they are following the child protection guidelines has declined. According to the Care Quality Commission (CQC) there has been a 3.1% decline in reporting compliance, but the vast majority of those were meeting these and many other standards. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) found a 3.1% decline in those reporting compliance, but the vast majority were meeting these and many other standards. Half of all trusts report that they are meeting all measures concerning issues ranging from hygiene to patient confidentiality. In the period 2005-2006 only 1 in 3 trusts were meeting the the measures.

The child protection guidance includes making sure staff are trained in recognising children who may be at risk, those who fail to meet these standards could lose their licence.

Those who defend the NHS argue that “The NHS has delivered steady improvements in compliance and that should be commended. But it remains concerning that all trusts aren’t meeting core standards on safety and quality, five years after they were introduced. They also argue that anyone reading all of the report cannot fail to come to the conclusion that there is a great deal that is improving in the NHS. However there is still considerable room for improvement and the service recognises that.”

There has been a greater focus in recent years on the areas of child protection and employment checks. Statistics show that standards in these areas are not improving but it should be emphasised that in these cases trusts are both being expected to deliver more and are asking more of themselves.