Psychologist Anne Fernald said that the effects are so profound that talking to children should be treated with the same importance as feeding them. And it is never too early to start. Dr Fernald said: ‘If you want your child to do well in school then talk to them as a baby. ‘If you bring a child into the world, we take on the responsibility for feeding them, keeping them clean and keeping them safe. ‘I think we now have enough scientific evidence to add something else to that list – and that is providing a level o...

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It can be quite a challenge agreeing on a name for your baby.  So what are the hot names going to be for 2016.  Definitely not Alison although I believe this will make a comeback at some point! Here are a few ideas, if you follow the link you can see the whole list on today parents. — Vowel-beginning names continue to rule, with 40 percent of the hottest girls' names and over half the boys' names starting with A (still the leader), E, I, or O, in that order. — Unisex names are hot, especially for girls, with Riley,...

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It's is quite natural for parents to worry about whether their child is getting enough food, especially if they refuse to eat sometimes or get labelled as a "fussy eater" The trick is not to worry about what your child eats in a day, or if they don't eat everything at mealtimes. It's more important to think about what they eat over a week.As long as your child is active and gaining weight, and it's obvious that they are not ill, then they’re getting enough to eat, even though it might not seem like it to you. It’s perfectly normal...

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The term "baby brain" is often used by new mums when they forget things or seem a little out of sync - but is it actually a condition, or simply a combination of sleep deprivation and changing hormones? An article in the New Scientist says that there is very little evidence that baby brain exists and that women with young children may even function better than they did before. Click on the article to see more. Of course scientists love to "prove"  or "disprove" and dispel the myths but from my work I know what sleep deprivation can ha...

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Did your baby get lots of lovely gifts this Christmas? It's a good idea to put away some of those new toys and bring them out a few at a time, so your baby doesn't get overwhelmed. You'll need to sort out toy storage now, to keep all the pieces of that jigsaw or shape sorter together. Keep hold of shoe boxes, biscuit tins and gift boxes, which all make useful storage boxes. If your baby has some birthday money to spend, you'll notice that a frustratingly large number of toys are labelled unsuitable for under-threes. When buying toys for ...

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 It’s a question that new mums ask me all the time.  I recently appeared on “Good Morning Britain” talking about deciphering a baby’s cry and I believe it is possible to learn to understand and recognise them. There is a growing body of research to support my belief that you may be able to decipher your baby’s cries. Having worked with babies for many years I truly believe that this is possible and I am confident in my ability to recognise the different messages that our bab...

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