As bedtime approaches, prepare your child for sleep by dimming the lights and discouraging stimulating activities e.g. TV.  Encourage your child to enjoy calming activities such as reading stories or colouring. You may like to practice some relaxation exercises or simple yoga stretches with them. 

If there is a deep resistance to bedtime and sleep, have a chat with your child and find out what the underlying problem is e.g. a fear of being alone, scared of the dark, loneliness etc.

A night light will help alleviate fear of being alone in the dark as well as bring a touch of magic to bedtime. Let them choose a toy and favourite story.  Sprinkle invisible fairy dust in the air or draw a circle of protection around them.  Allow time for children to ease away their fear and worry.   Stroke your child’s face or palms; circling their palm in a clockwise direction with your thumb is calming. A drop of lavender on a tissue near the pillow will help prepare them for a good nights sleep.  After their kiss and cuddle goodnight, say a mantra such as goodnight or sleep tight hope the bed bugs don’t bite. Dim the lights so they know it really is time for bed and sleep. 

Useful resources:

• Use Bad Dream Sprinkles as natural remedy to comfort night terrors
• Visit Relax Kids for loads of resources including CDs

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New figures have shown that the amount of people to catch measles has risen by 36% in 2008. The rise from 990 cases in 2007 to 1348 in 2008 is largely due to the increasing amount of children who have not been fully vaccinated with combined MMR.

The MMR vaccine was at the centre of controversy when research suggested it was linked to an increased risk of autism. This research has since been discredited but the effects of the claims continue to be felt. Only around 78% of children are believed to have had the recommended second dose at the age of 5 and the vast majority of the outbreaks have been among those who are not vaccinated. With measles being so contagious this allows the infection to spread easily among those children who have not had MMR.

The good news for those who have yet to be vaccinated is that, according to immunisation expert Dr Mary Ramsay, it is “never too late” to get the MMR vaccine. Dr Ramsay also adds:

“Measles should not be taken lightly as you can never tell who will go on to develop the more serious complications of pneumonia and encephalitis”.

Even for those of you who have had your children vaccinated it’s not a bad idea to ensure your child has a strong immune system. KiddieBoost Natural Immune System Support for children is a natural remedy specifically designed to keep children healthy.  It naturally improves the immune systems of children to allow their body’s to fight disease and infection more effectively. Even if you’re not worried about measles it’s a great supplement to see off those winter colds!

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A study of 10 years old on the Isle of Wight has discovered that children who were breast fed for at least 4 months have a much stronger lung capacity than those who weren’t breast fed. Although as yet it is uncertain why this is, it has been suggested that the different mechanics and duration of sucking may be the cause. On average breast fed babies need to generate 3 times the suction power than those that are bottle fed, meaning that by default feeding also lasts much longer. This has opened up the possibility of changes in bottle design to copy the process.

Dr Elaine Vickers, from Asthma UK, said "While the results of the study don’t focus specifically on asthma, the researchers were able to demonstrate that children breast-fed for four months or longer had better lung function than those who weren’t breast-fed at all, or who were breast-fed for less than four months.

"We currently support advice from the Department of Health, which states that where possible, babies should be exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life."

Obviously not all mothers are able to breast feed so that is where new bottle designs become more important. The research team have already been reported to have approached a bottle manufacturer so future bottle feeding mothers can look forward to healthier lungs for their children.

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The child obesity problem in the UK has seemingly hit a new level with the news that schools now need to buy bigger desks as children get too big for existing classroom furniture.

A commission led by former cabinet minister Charles reported that children were now taller and heavier than ever before, requiring sturdier chairs and higher tables.

The issue of obesity isn’t the only health risk this raises though. Children being forced into under-sized chairs face added problems of back pain and low attention spans as discomfort becomes distracting. It’s clear that while children getting taller is only a problem for the furniture manufacturers, the weight issue is one more wide set in society.

If you are worried about your child’s weight then why not take a look at a homeopathic child weight loss formula such as JuniorSlim. JuniorSlim is a safe and effective remedy which will not only help control child weight, but will also support healthy digestive functioning while supporting the liver, kidneys and spleen.

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UK researchers have declared Ibuprofen as the best over-the-counter drug to use to treat fever in your baby.

A trial of 156 babies using both paracetamol and ibuprofen found that ibuprofen works faster. It has also been advised that for longer lasting symptoms it is better to alternate the drugs rather than just use one continuously.

Obviously young children can fever quite regularly as their immune systems develop and if over-the-counter remedies are for you then this is the most recent advice.

If you’re looking for alternative remedies to supplement your child’s health then we have many on our site, whilst our recent article Comfort For Your Poorly Baby also outlines some common baby ailments along with some suggested remedies.

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