Children who speak two languages have even more of a cognitive advantage than was previously thought. Brand new findings from New York University’s school of culture, education, and human development have shown that bilingual children process voice information quicker than kids who only speak one language. The research, published in the journal Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, […]

9 years ago

You can buy every toy and educational gadget in the store, but your toddler will more than likely develop an obsession with the cardboard box it came in. Am I right? My daughter used to sleep with the remote control and my youngest shuns lego and blocks in favour of curtain rings and an old […]

9 years ago

Last October, the American Academy of Paediatrics (AAP) released a new policy statement advising that babies should sleep in the same room as their parents but in their own cot for the first year of their life, in order to prevent sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Despite the AAP’s recommendations, room sharing between babies and mothers beyond […]

9 years ago

A large-scale study of 1.3 million babies has shown that educational outcomes for premature babies are more promising than was previously believed. Although many mums and dads of preemies worry that their children might struggle in school, findings from a new large-scale study – published yesterday – should reassure parents. Researchers from the Institute for Policy Research […]

9 years ago

A study shows the excessive amounts parents are spending on their children to avoid the child feeling left out in school.

9 years ago

That awkward pregnancy moment when you laugh, cough, sneeze and pee all at the same time. During the nine (long) months of pregnancy, women’s bodily functions undergo many significant changes and the urinary system is sadly no exception. The uterus, which rests on the bladder, dramatically increases in size and weight over the 40 weeks. In […]

9 years ago

Although many of us who have had a Caesarean section birth might argue otherwise, a leading medical research centre in the US says that women are being sent home with more pain relief medications than they really need. A new study from Vanderbilt University Medical Centre has shown that most women who have a c-section are […]

9 years ago

Australian researchers have found yet another benefit to breastfeeding for six months or more. New findings, published in the Journal of Hepatology., have shown that babies who are breastfed for less than six months before starting infant formula are much more likely to develop non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) as teenagers. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is […]

9 years ago

Michelle and Barack Obama famously kept their ‘date night’ alive despite the stresses and strains of being the President and First Lady, having kids, and living in the public eye. Even science says that you should make the effort. According to a study by the Marriage Foundation, couples who go on a date night just once a […]

9 years ago

All for the love of sweet potato.  Not only do they have a lower carb content than regular spuds, sweet potatoes also contain more vitamin C. A win-win situation.  The average Irish daily consumption of fruit and veg is only 3.2 of the recommended five servings, so that give number a boost this week with these […]

9 years ago

Millions of people around the world have problems conceiving and throughout the years many celebrities have been outspoken about their struggles with failed IVF attempts and miscarriages. In the hope of encouraging other women to keep on trying these celebrities have spoken about their experiences and their disappointments. Brooke Shields Prior to her daughter Rowan’s […]

9 years ago

Welcome to week 33 of your pregnancy! This week, your baby is as big as a celery stick. Here’s what else you can expect this week. You You might describe yourself as ‘fed up’ at this point, or you could still be loving your bump and your glow – either way, you’re not the only […]

9 years ago

According to Eurostat, women in Ireland, on average, wait until they’re 30 to have babies. And chances are they only start thinking about conception at that time. But, according to Alan B. Copperman, medical director of Reproductive Medicine Associates of New York, women need to be mindful of their fertility in the years that precede […]

9 years ago

If you are suffering from any pregnancy-related condition, it’s super-important to visit your local women’s health Physiotherapist, but in the meantime, there are loads of things you can do to ease pain and discomfort. We chatted to women’s health Physio, Deborah Fernandez, from PhysioFit Woman, who specialises in pregnancy and post-pregnancy physio and physiolates. Here […]

9 years ago

Brought to you by Taste of Dublin. We’ve been waiting for this for months. No, not the summer holidays…Taste of Dublin of course. The massive festival is returning to Iveagh Gardens from the 15th-18th June and it looks like it’s going to be its best year yet. This year’s theme is ”Celebrating the Flavours of […]

9 years ago

Do you know any sets of twins or have some in your family? Or maybe you have your fingers crossed that you’ll be welcoming two pairs of tiny feet rather than one. Twins can either be identical (meaning they develop from just one zygote that splits and forms two embryos) or fraternal (meaning they develop […]

9 years ago

Welcome to week 31 of your pregnancy! This week, your baby is as big as a bunch of asparagus. Here’s what else you can expect this week. Your baby Your baby, now around 41 centimetres long and weighing about 1.5 kilograms, is working hard to prepare for the outside world. Their immune system is getting […]

9 years ago

So many toys, so little space. With three little people living in our house, I can’t walk without stepping on a piece of brightly-coloured plastic. I can’t sit on the sofa without being stabbed in the arse by a pink unicorn. Toys have now invaded my personal space to a level only seen on Extreme […]

9 years ago

I’m breaking the taboo: motherhood is lonely. The lucky ones – the mamas with sisters, cousins, friends, and even work colleagues who had babies at the same time as they did – won’t know what I’m talking about. But, for those of us who sat alone in a play centre, mother and baby group, or […]

9 years ago

Brought to you by Aldi. So you’re wrecked. Total sleep deprivation; vomit in your hair; endless nappy changes and wondering how the hell you’re going to keep it together. Then your baby smiles for the first time, and in an instant, it’s all worth it. Not that newborn’s reflex ‘smile’ – that’s involuntary neurological activity […]

9 years ago

Advanced maternal age doesn’t appear to be the cause of increased birth risks. The average age of women becoming mums has been rising for decades in high income countries. A number of scientific studies have found that among mothers 35 or older, there is an increased risk that their babies will be born preterm (less than […]

9 years ago

Important new findings from a decade long study, have altered traditional medical thinking that uterine fibroids cause miscarriages. The results of the 10-year-study, led by Vanderbilt University Medical Centre’s professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Katherine Hartmann, were published yesterday in the American Journal of Epidemiology. Fibroids are common benign uterine masses that can distort the external […]

9 years ago

Sometimes consequences are necessary, but beware what messages you’re actually sending to your child. Despite outward appearances, punishments are not the best way to correct or teach children. Punishing a child for bad behaviour or a misdemeanour does not teach him or her what they did wrong, only that if they do X, they will be […]

9 years ago

Many young girls are entering the first stage of puberty as early as eight years of age. Now, scientists say that puberty hormones might have educational implications. New findings from the University of California, Berkeley, has revealed for the first time how puberty hormones might impede some aspects of learning in children. Linda Wilbrecht, an associate […]

9 years ago

A nursing research team in Singapore have developed a unique mobile app that provides much needed postnatal support for new mums and dads. A nursing studies team from the National University of Singapore’s school of medicine have developed a mobile app to deliver postnatal educational programmes and provide postnatal supportive care on the go. Findings from […]

9 years ago

Can I have a triple-venti-soy-no-foam-latte without the fake intimacy please? So, we’re all aware that there is a certain branded coffee shop chain who practically hold your latte hostage until you’ve told them your name. I’m not an unfriendly person, honestly I’m not. But you don’t need to know my name barista person. We’re not making […]

9 years ago

Summer is fast approaching. And before we know it the little ones will be finished up with school. We can’t wait for days spent at the beach, picnics outside and weekend family getaways to the countryside. While it’s lovely to have a bit of downtime in the summer months, it’s also good to have some […]

9 years ago

Most wobblers start to stand without support from around nine months old, but these enthusiastic Scandies say that infants can stand without support even before they are four months old. Professors Hermundur Sigmundsson, Håvard Lorås, and Monika Haga, professors at Norwegian University of Science and Technology’s departments of psychology and neuromedicine, say that three to five-month-old infants […]

9 years ago

How many times a day do you have the ‘sharing is caring’ conversation with your smallies? Trying to explain altruistic behaviour to children can be a challenge, especially when they realise sharing can come at a personal cost. But, it turns out that sharing makes our human brains happy. And because we feel happy, we […]

9 years ago

Are you heading back home in the car with the kids today? Dreading the cooped-up crankiness and endless “are we there yets”? Here are 10 ways to make the car journey a little less tedious. And remember mamas: It’s not the destination, it’s the journey… 1. The ‘Find It’ game If things are getting a little […]

9 years ago

If the Bank Holiday weekend has you suffering and experiencing waves of ‘the fear’, don’t worry because we are here to help. This is the sweet solution you need. This healthy green elixir will conquer dehydration and soothe away any troubling thoughts leftover from an over-enthusiastic weekend. Oh, and it tastes delicious too! Ingredients: Two handfuls of lettuce (preferably romaine) […]

9 years ago

What daddy’s little girl wants, daddy’s little girl gets. When John Stoddard was asked to make a spaceship for his six-year-old daughter’s school ‘drive-in’ movie day, he went lightyears beyond what was expected. The doting father and Star Wars fan constructed a hugely impressive Empire Strikes Back ‘snowspeeder’ replica for his little girl to take to her […]

9 years ago

Medical researchers are using animal models in an attempt to understand human embryo implantation failure, something of a mystery in female fertility. In an effort to improve the success rate of IVF and assisted reproductive technologies, researchers at Baylor College of Medicine in Texas, have been investigating exactly what is involved in successful embryo implantation. […]

9 years ago

A new survey has revealed that children are spending the equivalent of 12 days straight staring at screens. How do you get your children away from the television or the computer?

9 years ago

The year is flying by and we’re already slap bang in the middle of the June Bank Holiday weekend. The school holidays will be upon us in the blink of an eye, but don’t panic HerFamily are already one step ahead with your summer camp options. We have taken a voyage of discovery into summer camp options […]

9 years ago

A home-cooked meal beats any boring canteen purchase or shop-buy every time. Nutrition aside, eating out every day is an expensive habit. There are plenty of cool lunchboxes in all shapes and sizes available these days so there’s really no excuse for not packing a healthy, tasty lunch to bring to school or to work. Whether you […]

9 years ago

An Australia mum was shocked to discover that her son’s school picture had been photoshopped to remove his “gappy grin” without her permission. Ange Pickett revealed in a blog post that her eight-year-old son’s adorable smile had been photoshopped to replace his missing teeth. As the mum-of-two rightly points out “surely we have lost the plot when we […]

9 years ago

A new international study has found that engaging with young children while reading books to them gives their brain a cognitive boost. While reading to children has many benefits, simply speaking the words aloud may not be enough to improve cognitive development in preschoolers, according to a new international study, published in the journal PLOS ONE. Researchers […]

9 years ago

Highly respected consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist, Dr Peter Boylan, who resigned from the executive board of the National Maternity Hospital in the row over ownership and governance, says it’s now time to end religious teaching in schools. Dr Boylan, the former Master of the National Maternity Hospital who has delivered over six thousand babies in his time, hit the […]

9 years ago

Having a baby is a wonderful thing – a few lows, but plenty of highs… and certainly (in the best possible ways) your life will never be the same again. If you’re pregnant, you might be considering breastfeeding too – and that decision can throw a spanner into the works. Because many mothers find the […]

9 years ago

Welcome to week 30 of your pregnancy! This week, your baby is as big as a cabbage. Here’s what else you can expect this week. You baby At 30 weeks, your baby is about 40 centimetres long and weighs around 1.4 kilograms. Those tiny fingernails are fully formed, and their brain is getting wrinkly – […]

9 years ago

Brought to you by Lidl Flavoursome meat with plenty of spuds – men are fairly basic creatures when it comes to food. A home-cooked Sunday roast is a sure-fire route to Dad’s heart and it’s the perfect way to mark Father’s Day. You can’t go wrong with a chicken; cut slits on the breast and […]

9 years ago

Brought to you by Lidl Don’t wait for clear blue skies for your back garden barbeque, ‘cos it may never happen. As long as it’s not pouring rain, the weather shouldn’t put a damper on your outdoor cooking. Nothing tastes better than flamed-grilled grub and the little ones love it just as much as we […]

9 years ago

The bacteria in a child’s gut appears to be influenced as early as its first year by their ethnicity and breastfeeding, according to new research emerging from Canada. The study, recently published in Genome Medicine, analysed stool samples from 173 white caucasian and 182 South Asian one-year-olds recruited from two birth cohort studies (CHILD and START), which are […]

9 years ago

Many women see the big four zero as their last chance saloon when it comes to baby-making. Regardless of the reasons for postponing pregnancy until later in life, the fact remains that the chances of getting pregnant at 40 years of age or over are significantly lower. After 45, the possibility of conception is greatly reduced […]

9 years ago

New research has shown that the negative impacts of smoking during pregnancy can last well into children’s future. Prenatal exposure to cigarette smoke is already known to have many negative short-term impacts including premature birth, low birth weight and subsequent behavioural problems. Now, findings from a new study have shown that exposure to as few […]

9 years ago

The trials and tribulations of being a woman, eh? The latest research from Women’s Health says that chances are you could be wearing the entirely wrong size bra. Ladies who reach for a 34B and 36C cup bra, we’re looking at you. Apparently, it’s pretty easy to assume you’re this size, as most people begin […]

9 years ago

Exposure to psychological abuse between parents is more damaging to children’s wellbeing than domestic violence. New research, carried out at University of Limerick, has shown that growing up in a home with psychological abuse has more long-term effects on the wellbeing of children than domestic violence. A scientific paper by Catherine Naughton, Aisling O’Donnell and Orla […]

9 years ago

Once purely the domain of American mommies-to-be, the baby shower now has its feet firmly under the Irish (delivery) table. Baby showers give expectant mamas the opportunity to share a relaxed and enjoyable day with their female friends and rellies before baba arrives. If you have an upcoming shower penciled into the diary, you’ll be […]

9 years ago

“December 3, 2016 is a day that will be forever etched in our hearts,” explains a heartbroken Laurena Meagher, who is grieving for her husband Kevin Fogarty. “What was meant to be a fun-filled family break ended in devastation, as our whole world was turned upside down with the sudden death of Kevin,” she adds. […]

9 years ago