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All about Twins from NHS Choices:
Information from Myths, Healthy Twin Pregnancies, Feeding Twins, Twins at School and more
Some Myths or Truths
Is it true that twins run in families, speak their own language and share extra sensory perception?
There are many myths about twins. Here, we help you separate fact from fiction.
Myth: Twins run in families
Fact: There is no evidence that identical twins run in families. However, it is possible that a family could have a genetic predisposition to non-identical twins. For more information, see "Twins skip a generation" below. Other factors that make non-identical twins more likely are not genetic and include:
Ethnicity. Twins are more common in black populations. Some studies have also reported that rates are lower in Korean, Thai, Vietnamese and Japanese people. Rates for white populations and Asian-Indians are somewhere in the middle.
Maternal age. The older the mother, the higher the chance of twins.
The higher the number of children you already have, the more likely you are to have twins.
Infertility treatment. All treatments that stimulate the ovaries or involve multiple embryo transfer increase the risk of multiple births.
Does Maternal love have an impact on adult stress? Nhs choices critiques
"Maternal love helps you deal better with stress and anxiety later in life," according to the Daily Mail. The newspaper said that a study has found that children whose mothers showed them high levels of affection at eight months of age experienced lower levels of distress as adults.
The study followed 482 individuals from birth until their mid thirties, and this unusually long follow-up time is one of the study's strengths. The main limitation of this study is that many unmeasured factors may influence a person's adult wellbeing, for example paternal affection as a child, or health or work status as an adult. It is also important to note that the adults in this study were, on average, in the normal range of emotional functioning.
It is likely that a complex mix of factors influences our adult wellbeing, and it seems plausible that our childhood experiences could be among them. However, the interactions between these numerous factors mean that teasing out the effects of individual factors is likely to be difficult and that maternal affection may not necessarily be the principal factor behind mental resilience.
"Houseproud women with spotless bathrooms could be twice as likely to get breast cancer," reported The Sun. NHS Choices critiques
This research asked women with and without breast cancer about their prior use of household cleaning products. It found that women with breast cancer were more likely to recall using cleaning products more frequently than women without the disease.
This case control study found an association between high cleaning product usage and increased risk of breast cancer. Although this was a well-designed case control study, as the researchers highlight, recall bias may have affected the results.
Are Parents giving children incorrect medicine dosage due to spoon size ? Nhs Choices Critiques
"Parents should not give their children medicine from an ordinary teaspoon", said the Daily Express. The newspaper said that spoon size can vary greatly, leading to doses that are far too large or small.
The research behind this story measured the sizes of a sample of teaspoons collected from 25 households in Greece. These varied in size, with the smallest holding 2.5ml of liquid and the largest holding 7.3ml of liquid. A standard dosing teaspoon holds 5ml. The research also found variation in the amount of medicine participants used to fill a standard 5ml spoon.
In the UK, the NHS-prescribed medications for children come with a standard-sized spoon or measuring cup and sometimes an oral syringe. People are advised to never use a household teaspoon to administer liquid medication as they vary in size. If you are concerned about how to measure out and give medicine to your child, ask your pharmacist, who can advise you.
This was a small study that highlighted two potential problems that could lead to an inappropriate dose of liquid medication being delivered when the medicine was measured using a teaspoon. Firstly, household teaspoons are not a standard size and can hold a variable amount of liquid, and secondly, even if people use a standard-sized teaspoon, they may not fill it to the top. For example, they found when assessing the women's ‘perception of a teaspoonful' that concerns over spillages or the child pushing the teaspoon of medicine away may be possible reasons for this.
100,000 mothers pushed back into work by recession
It is an alarming statistic that highlights the strain of the recession on households that have been forced to put finances before family.
Around 100,000 mothers have been forced back to work since the start of the credit crunch, official figures revealed yesterday.
Since August 2007 - the month the credit crunch began - the number of women who stay at home to look after their family has dropped by 97,000.
Some of the women finding work are being forced into jobs because their husbands have lost theirs.
Are Pre Term Births more likely in Teen Pregnancies? NHS Choices Critiques
Teenage mothers are "more likely to give birth prematurely and have underweight babies", says The Daily Telegraph.
This news is based on research that looked at records of babies born to mothers aged between 14 and 29 in the North West of England. The study found that teenage mothers aged 14 to 17 were more likely to have preterm babies than older mothers, with the risk being greater for teenagers who had their second child before the age of 17. Teenagers' babies were also smaller on average than the babies of older mothers, with first babies being on average 24g lighter and second babies being on average 80g lighter.
The risk of having a lower birthweight baby was also greater in mothers under 17 than in older mothers. The mean weight difference was 24g for a first child an 80g for a second child. However, the risk of having a small for gestational age baby was similar in old and young mothers once the researchers applied individualised birthweight ratios to their analyses. (In this study small for gestational age was defined as an individualised birth ratio within the bottom 5% of birthweights. Other studies consider it to be below the lowest 10% or weight below 2,500g at full-term.)
This study had many strengths, including the use of data from a large population and the fact that the researchers made detailed adjustments for factors influencing birthweight. Further investigation is now needed to assess whether the increased likelihood of preterm babies is due to environmental influences and the teenager's lifestyle, or to the physical immaturity of the teenage mothers.
Overall, this study highlights the association between preterm births and maternal age, as well as the need for further research into why this is the case. This type of research might aid healthy pregnancies among younger mothers.
NHS Choices critiques a report that a Blood test may be able to predict when menopause will occur
A blood test to predict when menopause will occur "could close the baby gap" by telling women how long they will remain fertile, reported The Guardian. Several other newspapers have reported on the hormone-based menopause test, saying that home testing kits could be available in a few years.
It is important to stress that a woman's fertility level and ability to conceive start to decline long before her periods stop and, therefore, a test predicting menopause may be of limited value in this area. Also, fertility levels can be affected by other factors, such as the quality of a man's sperm or blocked ovarian tubes in the woman. The test may have a role in predicting early menopause, although further results are needed to confirm this.
This was a small study carried out over a limited period (about six years), which tested whether levels of AMH in women of reproductive age could be used to predict the age they will reach the menopause. It seems to have been designed with a reasonable cut-off point set for the test, the first step in preparing a potential test for clinical use. Since the study has not been published yet, it is not possible to give detailed information about its methods or results. However, if validated by further studies, such a test could be particularly useful in predicting early menopause, giving women who may experience it time to plan their future.
An article in Mother & Baby magazine that described breastfeeding as “creepy” has prompted a backlash among mothers and midwives on the internet.
In a candid discussion about the decision to use milk formula, deputy editor Kathryn Blundell said she bottle fed her children because "I wanted my body back. (And some wine) …”
She added: “I also wanted to give my boobs at least a chance to stay on my chest rather than dangling around my stomach."
It has already prompted a Facebook campaign supported by about 600 users of the social media site, and at least six complaints to the Press Complaints Commission.
The article said: “The Milk Mafia can keep their guilt trips. Bullying other mums about something as special and nurturing as feeding their babies (and yes, bottle feeding can be lovely and intimate) is a depth that even Vicky Pollard wouldn’t sink to.
Campaigners are calling on the government to drop the "breast is best" slogan because it is not convincing new mums to breast feed, they say.
The Breastfeeding Network wants breastfeeding to be seen as the norm - not something special - as the slogan suggests.
Research shows that breast-fed babies are less likely to become obese in childhood and adulthood.
What is important, Lesley Backhouse says, is communicating to new mums that breastfeeding is free and easy, and the normal way to feed a baby.
How pushy mums can destroy their child's future Sandra Parsons discusses
Ask yourself honestly: Have you never experienced a stab of angst on learning of another child's success? The survey this week revealing that mums are fearsomely competitive with each other, desperately vying for their child to be the most musical, academic or athletic, will have come as a surprise to no one who has endured the school gates at pick-up time.
But you will also learn, if you listen carefully, which mother does her child's homework for them and who is secretly employing a tutor to help with mathematics. And just as you look forward to it all coming to a welcome end, you will make two shattering discoveries. the first is that the final year of primary school, with all its attendant nightmares of gaining a place at the school of your dreams, is as vicious an arena as a medieval battlefield.
A report regarding Autism and Early Birth was misleading- NHS Choices analyses
Babies born a week early have a "greater risk of autism," The Daily Telegraph has claimed.
The news is based on research that found that babies delivered between 37 and 39 weeks had a higher chance of being later diagnosed with special educational needs (SEN) such as autism and dyslexia than babies delivered at the full term of 40 weeks. However, pregnant women should not be alarmed by this research or media reports as the risk of developing SEN was still relatively low in early babies, with delivery a week early linked to only around three extra cases per 1,000 births. Also, the study looked at special educational needs as a whole, meaning it did not report any specific rise in the risk of autism.
The findings have important implications for the timing of elective caesarean deliveries, with the researchers suggesting that, ideally, such deliveries should be postponed until 40 weeks when possible.
“Heart attack hospital admissions have fallen since the smoking ban,” reported The Times.
Heart attack hospital admissions have fallen since the smoking ban,” reported The Times. This news is based on a study on the rates of hospital admissions for heart attacks before and after the smoking ban was introduced in England on July 1 2007. Researchers estimated a 2.4% reduction in heart attack emergency admissions to hospital (or 1,200 fewer admissions) in the 12 months following the ban.
Data for the analysis were obtained from hospital statistics collected on all patients receiving care from the NHS in England. The researchers were interested in the number of emergency admissions for heart attack between July 1 2002 and September 30 2008. The smoking ban came into effect on July 1 2007.
Overall, between 2000 and 2008 there was a decrease in the number of emergency admissions for heart attack. This decrease was accelerated from around 2002 and was greater in older than younger age groups.
Babies born slightly early or two weeks late have a marginally raised risk of learning difficulties - from poor vision to autism, research suggests.
The Glasgow University study of 400,000 schoolchildren found those born between 37 to 39 weeks were 16% more likely to develop problems than those born at 40.
But the overall risk was still relatively low, at 5% of all children.
Take part in a large weaning study for Kings College London to help gain an insight in to UK infant feeding
The UK is lagging behind other European countries by failing to recognise the role grandparents play in looking after children, a study claims.
The report by Grandparents Plus claims one in three mothers in the UK rely on grandparents to provide childcare.
It says the state gives little financial recognition for this caring role, unlike other European countries.
It said that a number of EU countries had taken steps to help grandparents.
This included measures to allow parents to transfer parental leave to grandparents, letting working grandparents take time off if their grandchild is sick and, in some circumstances, paying them for the care they provided.
Does your Pregnancy weight increase your child's risk of Heart Disease? NHS Choices analyses the study
Women who "pile on the pounds" during pregnancy could be putting their child at risk of heart disease in later life, reported the Daily Mail.
This study assessed the relationship between mothers' weight gain in pregnancy and weight before pregnancy, and their children's body fat and heart (cardiovascular) disease risk. The results appear to show a positive association between greater than recommended weight gain during pregnancy and the child having more body fat at the age of nine.
However, many factors affect weight gain. Although the researchers considered many of these in their analysis, they did not include them all, such as diet and activity levels in mother and child. In addition, mother and child could potentially share genetic factors that affect their tendency to gain weight.
This was a good-quality study, but these and other limitations mean that we cannot conclude that a definite cause-and-effect relationship exists. As the researchers say, the possibility remains that these are chance findings. This study is worthy of being replicated in larger groups that take more detailed measures in mothers and their children.
Are obesity ills a myth? NHS Choices critiques this study
"Accepted medical wisdom that overweight people are more susceptible to diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure is a myth," reported the Sunday Express.
This story is based on a study of the relationship between body mass index (BMI), current health, age and gender. Survey data were available for about 18,000 adults whose health was assessed by looking at how many prescription medications they took at the time.
Contrary to what the news headline may suggest, these results are not sufficient to challenge our current understanding of how being overweight or obese affects our health. A person's self-reported use of medication may not fully reflect their state of health, and this method does not assess type or severity of illness.
"Brushing your teeth twice a day could save you from a heart attack", the Daily Mail reported.NHS Choices analyses this study
The study looked at the potential association between how often people brushed their teeth and their risk of cardiovascular disease. It found that people who never or rarely brushed their teeth were 70% more likely to get cardiovascular disease than those who brushed their teeth twice a day. People with poor oral hygiene also had higher blood levels of a specific chemical marker of inflammation, which is thought to increase the risk of developing heart disease.
This type of research cannot prove that poor oral hygiene causes cardiovascular disease as it may simply be that people who follow a healthy lifestyle also brush their teeth more. Equally, the results of this analysis were adjusted to account for this likelihood.
The researchers conclude that poor oral hygiene is associated with a higher risk level of cardiovascular disease, and also with low-grade inflammation. However, they point out that cause and effect is not yet proven
The results confirm previous findings, which have found a link between gum disease (known to be mainly caused by poor oral hygiene) and cardiovascular disease. Experimental studies, they say, are now needed to confirm whether poor oral hygiene is a cause of cardiovascular disease or a marker for other risk factors, such as smoking.
A lack of exercise is "worse for health than being obese"
The Daily Telegraph has reported. It quotes an expert as saying that lack of fitness is the root cause of more illness than excess body fat.
The Telegraph's story is based on one of a pair of opinion pieces by medical experts with opposing views about how to improve public health and reduce the risk of major health problems, such as diabetes and stroke. One article argues that health policy should focus purely on increasing people's physical activity rather than worrying about weight loss. The other article maintains that treatment to prevent and reduce obesity is crucial, and that radical changes to diet and lifestyle are needed.
Is Technology and boon or a burden?More prevalance in loneliness in young than old
Loneliness is more prevalent among the young than those past retirement age, a survey suggests, amid profound changes in the way we live and interact.
Nearly 60% of those aged between 18 to 34 questioned spoke of feeling lonely often or sometimes, compared to 35% of those aged over 55.
New technology meanwhile may be both a boon and a burden, the report suggested.
At one level, it has enabled people to make connections they might not otherwise have made, and virtual friendships can evolve into real-life relationships.
The report cites the example of the parenting website Netmums, which says that because of contacts made online 10,000 women meet face-to-face every month, reducing the sometimes intense sense of isolation new mothers can experience.
Premature birth risk appears to be genetic, say researchers after finding early births tend to run in families.
Women born prematurely or who have brothers or sisters who were born too early are 50-60% more likely to have a premature baby themselves, they say.
The researchers found that mothers-to-be who had been born prematurely were, on average, 60% more likely to have a premature baby if it was their first pregnancy.
For any subsequent pregnancies their risk was 50%.
Andy Cole, Chief Executive of Bliss, the special care baby charity, said: "We welcome any research that helps us better understand the causes of preterm birth and identify those at high risk.
Advice on all sexual health issues from NHS Choices including pre pregnancy and talking to kids about sex
How to talk about sex to your partner, teenager or younger child, and why it's important. With tips on what to say.
Find out about the 15 methods of contraception, where to get them and how to decide what's right for you.
How, why and where to get a chlamydia test. Plus symptoms, treatment and protecting yourself.
And more ....
MMR Doctor "Paid Children" during trials and is struck off register
The doctor who first suggested a link between MMR vaccinations and autism is to be struck off the medical register.
The General Medical Council found Dr Andrew Wakefield guilty of serious professional misconduct over the way he carried out his controversial research.
And the panel hearing the case took exception with the way he gathered blood samples. Dr Wakefield paid children £5 for the samples at his son's birthday party.
Professor Terence Stephenson, president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, said the scare over the vaccine had done "untold damage to the UK vaccination programme".
"We cannot stress too strongly that all children and young people should have the MMR vaccine."
New figures released today from Department Of Health show 27% of breastfeeding mums stop feeding at 6-8 weeks.
The Department of Health has today released new figures on breastfeeding. The breastfeeding initiation rate in England was 72.7% in 2009/10, slightly higher than the figure of 71.7% in 2008/9. However, NCT was concerned to see that the number of mums continuing to breastfeed dropped to around 45% within six to eight weeks after birth.
Do Probiotic drinks protect our children against infections?
"A daily probiotic drink can help protect young children against infections," reported The Daily Telegraph. It said that children who start the day with a probiotic drink are 20% less likely than their classmates to suffer from ear and sinus infections.
NHS Choices analysis this report
Many new fathers suffer from undiagnosed Postnatal Depression
Many new fathers experience post-natal depression, yet most cases go undetected and untreated, experts warn.
Bridget O'Connell, from the mental health charity Mind, said: "Becoming a parent is one of the biggest changes that both men and women can go through, yet there is still very little understood about how it impacts on mental health, and how many people will experience a perinatal mental health problem.
"New parents can be faced with sleep deprivation, changes in lifestyle, changes in their relationship and new responsibilities all at once, and we don't always remember that this is going to be an issue for men as well as for women."
Demands of after-school life 'affect family time'
Middle-class parents feel pressured into offering their children "every conceivable" extra-curricular activity, a leading head teacher says.
Mr Gorton is expected to tell Thursday's ISA conference in Bournemouth: "Over recent decades we seem to have created a 'must-have' culture amongst our young people.
"Many see that they may be perceived to be failing as parents if they do not ensure that their children have the latest gadgets and electronic devices along with their peers.
"Many parents also, I suspect, feel pressured to enrol their offspring into every conceivable club or after-school activity that is available, including through the weekends.
The controversial children’s database ContactPoint is to be scrapped by the new government, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats have revealed.
ContactPoint is the national children’s database launched by the previous Labour government in January 2009 to provide demographic data on every child in the country, plus the name and address of any professional working with them.
The database was created as a result of recommendations from Lord Laming’s inquiry into the death of Victoria Climbe but was criticised by civil liberties groups and some children’s campaigners.
Both the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats had pledged to scrap the online system because they claimed there was a danger of sensitive information being mislaid or lost.
Boys to Men- Boot "Dad"Camp to turn boys into "Fathers"
The show explores issues such as the importance of male role models, absent fathers and the struggles of being a young parent. The expectant mothers will conclude the series by deciding whether or not to stay with their boyfriends or raise their babies on their own.
"With 'Dad Camp,' we really wanted to go beyond exploring the critical role of fatherhood in today's family, and give dads something useful and tangible that they could take away," Executive Producer J.D. Roth tells PR Newswire.
The working mother who cannot be at home to cuddle a distraught child can relax - her voice on the phone soothes as much as a hug, a study suggests.
US researchers put more than 60 girls in a stressful situation and monitored their hormonal responses when they were either phoned or hugged afterwards.
Oxytocin - a hormone believed to be strongly associated with social bonding, and one which alleviates the effects of cortisol - rose in both groups to similar levels. Oxytocin levels in the film group did not increase.
"It was understood that oxytocin release in the context of social bonding usually required physical contact," said Dr Leslie Seltzer of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, who led the research.
"But it's clear from these results that a mother's voice can have the same effect as a hug, even if they're not standing there."
Premature babies feel pain more acutely than healthy newborns largely due to the invasive hospital treatments they receive, experts believe.
Tests at University College London suggest procedures like tube feeding, injections and blood tests make pre-term infants more sensitive to pain.
Organisations across the children's sector are today coming to terms with the implications of a hung parliament after the general election failed to give any single party a clear majority.
The result has led to concerns that a hung parliament could have a negative impact on services for children and young people.
Elaine Hindal, director of the Children's Society's campaign for childhood, said it is vital for children's services that there is a smooth transition to whoever takes power.
"Whatever the make-up of the new government, they must put the interests of children first when formulating policy," she said.
"The Children's Society hopes that the next government will take a look at the current safeguarding system, to make sure the services it delivers take into account the direct experience of each child. Disabled children and younger children are particularly at risk of having their wishes and feelings ignored or unrepresented when critical decisions are made about them.
British children are adventurous little gourmets
Nick Jr has today released details of its research into the food our kids are eating...the results make for interesting reading! The key finding of the study - which covered children between the ages of 1 and 5 and polled over 1000 parents - is that when given a choice children opt for foreign dishes over English classics.
It seems that, contrary to popular belief, British children are adventurous little gourmets - parents claim that by the age of 5 their children have tried everything from Chinese to Spanish and even, amazingly, sushi!
Other findings include:
45% of children have sampled Indian cuisine, cementing the place of chicken tikka masala as a national favourite.
25% of children have tried Spanish food and just over one-in-five have treated their palates to delicacies from France.
Over in Wales it's pasta and pizza that appeals most - 69% of Welsh respondents said Italian food was the preferred choice for their bambini.
In Scotland Chinese food hits the spot for discerning little eaters- 70% of under-5s have chowed down on noodles, sweet 'n' sour and the like.
In terms of age differences parents between the ages of 16 and 24 are much more likely to feed their little ones Mexican or Thai food than parents aged 55-plus.
50 years of "The Pill"
It is 50 years since the pill was first approved as a contraceptive, finally divorcing sex from pregnancy. But half a century on, our relationship with the tablet credited with revolutionising women's lives is not always an easy one.
On 9 May, 1960, the American authorities announced they would allow a hormonal pill previously used for gynaecological complaints to be prescribed as contraception. Over the next decade, a string of other Western countries from Australia to the UK would follow suit.
Now the pill is one of the most studied medications in history, the subject of many ongoing epidemiological investigations. More than 200 million women worldwide have used it since it was first approved.
Breaking News Meningitis Risk to British Children
Research by the Oxford Vaccine Group at Oxford University has found that many British children may not be protected against meningitis C, despite the current vaccine in the Childhood Immunisation Programme.
The study found that three out of four British children have no personal protection against meningitis C, despite the vaccine being introduced into the UK immunisation programme back in 1999. The researchers have highlighted that because it is not clear how long herd immunity* against meningitis C will remain in the UK, children could become vulnerable if it erodes over time.
National charity and the leading voice on the impact of meningitis, the Meningitis Trust, is concerned to learn the findings of this study, as it sees first-hand the trauma and devastation that the deadly brain bug, meningitis, can cause.
Lack of public Awareness about Asthma
Shocking new data* released by Asthma UK on World Asthma Day (4 May) suggests that 88% of UK adults would not be completely confident about what to do if a child with asthma in their care had an asthma attack.
Asthma is believed by many to be a mild and harmless condition, yet a child is admitted to hospital as a result of the condition every 19 minutes in the UK and the equivalent of a classroom of children die from asthma every year.
Neil Churchill, Asthma UK’s Chief Executive says: ‘The complacency that exists about asthma in the UK is shocking and dangerous and cannot continue. Every member of the public needs to know the signs of worsening asthma and what steps to take if someone suffers an asthma attack. Not acting quickly enough can result in needless deaths that shatter lives.
Private Counselling Service coming very soon
Health Visitor Direct in the next few weeks can offer Private one to one counselling sessions with our Health Visitors. Have a live web chat with your own healh visitor at a time to suit you.
Sessions on any parenting topic from Weaning to Post Natal Depression, to enquire please visit the contact us page
Health Visitor Direct Yummy Scrummy Recipes for Ellas Kitchen
Health Visitor Direct have written some recipes for Ellas Kitchen, can be used from Stage 2 and used for all the family
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