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Pink blue ribbon awareness isolated on white background Clipping path for SID Birth defect illness to end obstetric fistula
The care women and couples need following miscarriage: New counselling service offered to grieving parents
Women's Health Survey 2025: Because miscarriage is often first trimester, couples won’t have said they’re pregnant

Fri, 20 Jun, 2025

Slime
Joanna Fortune: Does my anxious child need professional help? 
Your first step is to take time to reflect on his anxiety. How long has he been experiencing it? Do you know what might have triggered it? It is OK if you do not know the answers, as his behaviour can still be addressed without identifying the root cause

Tue, 17 Jun, 2025

Happy handsome sleeping child boy lying bed and resting
Dr Phil Kieran: Is my teen's growth spurt to blame for his marathon sleeping? 
Oversleeping regularly can contribute to changes in mood and concentration

Tue, 17 Jun, 2025

depressed, sad, lonely boy sitting on floor
Joanna Fortune: My husband and I have different parenting styles - how do we work on this?
It should be possible to discuss your different approaches to parenting as a conversation, but if it becomes heated, decide who will speak first (by flipping a coin) and agree that each of you will have five uninterrupted minutes on the matter

Tue, 10 Jun, 2025

'Be kind to people': Well-known faces share words of wisdom from their fathers
'Be kind to people': Well-known faces share words of wisdom from their fathers
Whether through words of wisdom or by setting a good example, high-profile people share what they learned from their fathers.

Tue, 10 Jun, 2025

Tots to Teens: Penguins waddle into the limelight in new book
Tots to Teens: Penguins waddle into the limelight in new book
Penguin TV by Niamh Sharkey and Owen Churcher imagines that the penguins are using a webcam to create their own reality television show

Tue, 10 Jun, 2025

Close up of young kid using smart phone at night
Colman Noctor: France pulls the plug on underage access to pornography
In a novel move, the law introduces a “double anonymity” mechanism, involving an independent third party overseeing the age verification process.

Tue, 10 Jun, 2025

Sick little boy cleaning nose in bed
Dr Phil Kieran: My child picks up every bug going — how can I help boost his immune system? 
There are several steps you can take to help improve your child's immune system

Tue, 10 Jun, 2025

Boy Day Dreaming at Park
What are the signs of loneliness in children and what should you do if your child is lonely?
Some children enjoy spending time on their own, but what do you do when your child is lonely and is unable to connect with their peers?

Tue, 03 Jun, 2025

Little girl sitting on sofa and touching painful belly with arms at living room. Child suffering from stomach ache at home.
Aoife Hearne: Has my child inherited coeliac disease from her grandad?
Should I eliminate all gluten products from her diet? Or does she need to be tested?

Tue, 03 Jun, 2025

Tired student trying to study in the night
Colman Noctor: Using a sports psychology game plan to manage exam stress
Students can benefit from setting SMART goals: Specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.

Tue, 03 Jun, 2025

Sad little girl
Joanna Fortune: My grandchild gets upset when it's time to leave the playground
Transitions are not easy for young children to manage, so they often struggle with ending one fun task (playing on the playground) and doing something not so fun (going home for lunch/nap, etc)

Tue, 27 May, 2025

Cute little baby boy, eating mashed vegetables for lunch, mom feeding him
Too much sugar for your sweet baby — a look at ready-made meals and food pouches
Ready-made foods and food pouches for infants are often high in sugar, watery, and much less nutritious than is claimed, and purées may hinder development of motor and chewing skills and also hand co-ordination

Tue, 27 May, 2025

Tourist at windmills in Zaanse Schans
Colman Noctor: Learning from the Dutch approach, where teenagers have high life satisfaction
A UNICEF report has revealed that Irish teenagers are among the least satisfied with life in high-income countries

Tue, 27 May, 2025

The father holds the tiny legs of a newborn baby in his palms.
Julie Jay: Can the 'just you wait' brigade please stop raining on our parenting parade?
Because there will, of course, come a time when the baby who leans into you becomes their own person, a person with the power to refuse your request to stop at the chipper on the way, and insist on playing their own music in the car because ‘they’re driving’. Just you wait? I can’t wait, and that’s the real joy of it

Tue, 27 May, 2025

Close-up woman massaging her arthritic hand and wrist, she is suffering from pain and rheumatism
Should my teen get the cyst on her wrist aspirated? 
The old advice was to 'bash' a ganglion cyst with a Bible giving them their other name of 'Bible bumps'. This approach aims to burst the cyst without breaking the skin, however, this treatment is painful, risks bone fracture, and isn’t very effective

Tue, 27 May, 2025

Young teenage boy studying at home using digital tablet while sitting on dining table
What to say and what to avoid saying to the exams student in your home
Finals are looming and whether your child is ready or not, they need their parents to be supportive and considerate

Sun, 25 May, 2025

A little boy is watching football on TV at home
Julie Jay: My stubborn determination for my son to play GAA is paying off 
Like all sports autobiographies, our football journey has so far been one of dizzying heights and terrifying lows

Tue, 20 May, 2025

Labrador Puppy
Joanna Fortune: My children refuse to help look after our new puppy 
This new puppy is a new baby of sorts in your family, and like any new baby, it is taking up a lot of your time, attention, and energy

Tue, 20 May, 2025

Teenagers Relaxing at Youth Club
Colman Noctor: Are youth clubs a traditional solution to a modern problem?
Often seen as relics of the past, youth clubs are vital for the social, emotional, and psychological rehabilitation of today's younger generation

Tue, 20 May, 2025

Woman having stomach ache
Can my teen speed up recovery from cracked ribs? 
With rib injuries, we tend not to breathe very deeply. Pain relief is important to reduce the risk of developing a chest infection. This is because the movement of the ribs is painful, so we try to reduce it

Tue, 20 May, 2025

Child rock pooling and collecting sea shells
Tots to Teens: Life’s a beach with Cork seashore tour
And Little Puckers, the award-winning children’s playgroup for aspiring GAA stars, is holding Gaelic games-themed play sessions for children aged 18 months to five years across the country

Tue, 20 May, 2025

Sneaky Snacks
Joanna Fortune: I'm worried about bringing my noisy children to wedding 
Weddings can be overwhelming for children. A big part of what makes them and similar events so difficult for them is that the day starts early with much waiting and sitting around

Tue, 13 May, 2025

Tots to Teens: From Barnardos ‘Big Toddle’ fundraiser to colourful fun in Cobh
Tots to Teens: From Barnardos ‘Big Toddle’ fundraiser to colourful fun in Cobh
The Big Toddle is a fundraiser that Barnardos has organised every May and June for the past 22 years, raising €4.84m for Barnardos’ early years services in the process

Tue, 13 May, 2025

Child holding placard with pensive emoticon, question marks doodle
Julie Jay: My preschooler is a walking, talking, information-gathering machine
My four year old’s insatiable curiosity is a reminder that the older that we need to ask more questions, not less

Tue, 13 May, 2025

Stressed woman
Colman Noctor: Pressure to be perfect undermines mental health of teen girls
In today’s fast-paced, high-pressure world, raising adolescent girls can feel like walking a tightrope

Tue, 13 May, 2025

Jumping in the sea waves on the beach
Joanna Fortune: My child hates going to the beach — I need a solution that works for both of us
Your son might never love being at the beach, but you can slowly, respectfully, and with play start to make it more tolerable

Tue, 06 May, 2025

Little girl eating cereal with milk
Aoife Hearne: The smallest worry puts my daughter off food — what can I do? 
Stress and anxiety can affect our eating behaviours. While we generally associate chronic stress with increased food intake and frequency of eating, acute stress can have the opposite effect

Tue, 06 May, 2025

Julie Jay: Is there ever a good time to have kids?
Julie Jay: Is there ever a good time to have kids?
If we waited for the perfect time to have kids, we’d never have them

Tue, 06 May, 2025

Tots to Teens: Spot the difference and join the dots with activity book featuring Michael D Higgins
Tots to Teens: Spot the difference and join the dots with activity book featuring Michael D Higgins
From the President's Sticker Activity Book to playing dress-up, here's a selection of products and activities for the children to enjoy

Tue, 06 May, 2025

Unhappy Teenage Girl With Mobile Phone Lying On Bed At Home Anxious About Social Media Online Bullying And Using Phone Too Much
Colman Noctor: Rise in therapy talk can make teens see everyday stress as a sign of mental illness
Emotions, even painful ones, are not inherently dangerous but inevitable challenges of living

Tue, 06 May, 2025

Outdoors portrait of 15 year old blonde teen girl with long hair in white t-shirt
Joanna Fortune: My daughter is struggling to make friends — what can I do to help? 
Friendship is such a big part of life that when it proves difficult for us, it can overwhelm everything that is going well in our lives

Tue, 29 Apr, 2025

'Paediatricians, GPs, and schools don’t understand childhood long covid'
'Paediatricians, GPs, and schools don’t understand childhood long covid'
Parents can find it difficult to get the right medical support, as it is not widely known that young people can develop the condition

Tue, 29 Apr, 2025

Tots to Teens: Choose sustainability with these plantable pencils that grow into herbs
Tots to Teens: Choose sustainability with these plantable pencils that grow into herbs
From graphite pencils that can be planted once you finish using them to the May Sunday Festival, here's a selection of products and activities for the children to enjoy

Tue, 29 Apr, 2025

Cute cherful dreaming ginger boy standing
Colman Noctor: Not everyone who struggles to focus has ADHD
Instead of only asking what is wrong with individuals, perhaps we should also ask what is wrong with the world they live in

Tue, 29 Apr, 2025

Isolated young fitness woman training
What can my teen do about cramps after gym workout?
Building a good exercise habit in your teens is a crucial step in maintaining a healthy lifestyle into adulthood, so I would be keen to find a solution for your daughter

Tue, 29 Apr, 2025

Grandmother is hugging a grandson
Julie Jay: Nana’s visit has relegated me to second place in my children’s eyes
I am the fossil fuel to my mother’s renewable energy source, the sod of turf to her wind turbine, the briquette to her solar panel

Tue, 29 Apr, 2025

Baby Sam from Cork is making waves after open heart surgery
Baby Sam from Cork is making waves after open heart surgery
Referred to a cardiologist at four months, the Cork infant has recovered well from surgery with the help of swimming classes

Tue, 22 Apr, 2025

Happy baby waving
Tots to teens: Learn the simple signs parents can use to communicate with their babies
Babies communicate with their hands long before they can talk. They wave. They clap. They point

Tue, 22 Apr, 2025

Cute teenage boy sleeping in white bedding, covered to ears
Joanna Fortune: My son only attends school in the afternoon, doesn't have friends and avoids lunch breaks 
The combination of lack of sleep, difficulty with peer interaction, poor and inconsistent engagement in school and his general lack of responsiveness to your efforts to get him there on time makes me wonder about his mental health status

Tue, 22 Apr, 2025

Group of people roasting marshmallows over a campfire, holding sticks with marshmallows near bright flames. Hot drinks with mars
Julie Jay: My son is going to camp, but it’s not like an 1980s American movie
Camps are bigger than ever, but bear little resemblance to their American counterpart in that there are fewer grizzly bears and a lot more central heating

Tue, 22 Apr, 2025

Tired stressed out mother holding her daughter.
Colman Noctor: Parenting is hard, and even harder with mental illness
Contributing to the shame is how society increasingly idealises parenthood, often equating good parenting with unshakable emotional stability

Tue, 22 Apr, 2025

young boy with broken arm
Can my son speed up recovery from a broken wrist?
People often think that a fracture or a break is different but, in medicine, we use the terms interchangeably

Tue, 22 Apr, 2025

Tots to Teens: Jigsaw helping put the pieces back together for students during exam season
Tots to Teens: Jigsaw helping put the pieces back together for students during exam season
The next few months will likely be stressful for teenagers and their parents.

Tue, 15 Apr, 2025

'The paediatrician saw no sign of it': Mother's experience with son's tongue tie diagnosis
'The paediatrician saw no sign of it': Mother's experience with son's tongue tie diagnosis
When the band of tissue under the tongue is too short, breastfeeding can be challenging, but getting an accurate diagnosis is often just as difficult, says Helen O’Callaghan

Tue, 15 Apr, 2025

Rear view of man looking away
Dr Phil Kieran: What can my teen do about his excessive sweating?
Interestingly, body ‘odour’ is primarily caused by normal skin bacteria digesting the oils in the sweat produced by these glands, rather than the sweat itself

Tue, 15 Apr, 2025

Mother and daughter using a digital tablet together
Joanna Fortune: My daughter is struggling with reading in senior infants
If you push reading too hard and too soon at home, you could inadvertently turn your daughter off reading

Tue, 15 Apr, 2025

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