The family way

7:00am Saturday 22nd November 2008

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Lisa Salmon looks at the weird, wonderful and sometimes weary world of parenting.

By Lisa Salmon

NEWS FOR PARENTS :: The physical effort of sucking milk during breastfeeding may leave babies with stronger lungs as they grow up, scientists have said.

Researchers from the University of Southampton and Michigan State University found children who had been breastfed for at least four months had stronger lung function in later childhood.

A third of the children had been breastfed for at least four months, and on average, these children could blow out more air after taking a deep breath and could blow it out faster.

So if you ever need a child to help blow up balloons, ask them if they were breastfed first.

:: A film which explores the impact bedwetting has on children and young people has been launched online.

The film was made by the charity ERIC (Education and Resources for Improving Childhood Continence), which says children and their families often feel isolated and under pressure because of the stress and stigma surrounding bedwetting and daytime wetting.

It claims about one in 12 young people in the UK between the ages of five and 16 have wetting or soiling problems.

But it says there are usually things that can be done to help improve or overcome the problem.

To see the film visit www.eric.org.uk :: A massive effort is required to alert parents to the risk of their children growing up obese, Health Secretary Alan Johnson has warned.

Although it's estimated that 90% of youngsters will be at risk of obesity-induced illness by 2050, research has found most parents are blind to the reality.

Almost nine out of 10 fail to recognise that their children are overweight or obese.

Johnson has announced plans for a nationwide 'lifestyle revolution' as part of the Government's Change4Life programme, which will include healthy food promotions, walking campaigns, cycling groups and free swimming for the under 16s and over 60s.

Johnson said: "The message we received from parents was clear: we recognise that obesity is a big problem, but it's not our problem".

But whose problem is it to get the parents of obese children to take any notice of the Change4Life initiative?

:: Nearly half of people think boys are more trouble and harder to parent, according to new research.

A total of 49% of those questioned in the UK said boys were more challenging children.

The poll was commissioned by the British Association For Adoption and Fostering, which is concerned that negative perceptions could lead to boys waiting longer to be adopted.

But perhaps those negative perceptions will persist until stories about boys using knives on other boys stop hitting the headlines.

ASK THE EXPERT Q: "My six-year-old daughter stops breathing briefly when she's asleep. My GP says it's sleep apnoea caused by large tonsils and she'll grow out of it - but doesn't she need her tonsils out?"

A: Helen Caulfield, a consultant ENT surgeon at The Royal Free Hospital, London, says: "Her sleep apnoea is because her tonsils are so big that they're blocking her throat.

"It's an anatomical problem, and by relieving the obstruction, you cure the problem.

"If you've got sleep apnoea as a six-year-old, then you'll need your tonsils and adenoids out - you'll never grow out of it.

"This is very common - I operate on about 400-500 children a year with it. I would say that one in five children has it, or even more.

"When parents come to me they often say they've been to the GP many times and keep being told it's normal. They are told their child will grow out of it, which is not correct.

"If children are stopping breathing, that means they need their tonsils and adenoids out. It's the tonsils that are sticking together, strangulating the child and stopping them breathing, and there's massive sleep fragmentation.

"They have to come out, but it's a fantastic operation, with an 87% cure.

"Before the operation takes place, there are ways of alleviating the child's symptoms by treating any concurrent sinus and chest infections.

"A lot of these children have two problems - one is the physical side of their tonsils and adenoids, and the other is that they've got a mucky nose and a tendency to cough.

"You can use medicines to clear that up and it improves the sleep apnoea by about 40%, and the operation does the rest."

WEBSITE OF THE WEEK: workingfamilies.org.uk The Working Families charity helps working parents and their employers find a better balance between home and work life. Its website contains information for working parents and details of the support the charity offers on employment rights, childcare and flexible working. There is also a Work Retune toolkit, which is a free online source of expertise for senior professionals and their managers interested in flexible working.

THREE WAYS TO...decorate a nursery on a budget 1. Paint the walls in one colour and decorate with bright self-adhesive transfers that can be removed when baby gets older.

2. Buy secondhand furniture, paint it the same colour as the walls and add a few transfers if you like.

3. Frame old children's greetings cards for the walls.

WHEN IS MY CHILD READY...to visit the dentist for the first time?

Opinions vary on the right age for a child to first visit a dentist - some suggest as early as six-12 months of age when the first teeth are erupting, so early brushing and dental health advice can be given to parents. Others simply advise visiting before a child is three, and some dentists think the best age is around four, when the primary teeth are fully formed.

READER TIP When your toddler's having a tantrum, try giving them a hug even if you're annoyed with them. The close contact will often calm them and stop the crying.