CatherineMom's Blog

Children who play violent computer games on a regular basis are more likely to be aggressive, researchers have found. The findings were revealed at a conference held by the International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect in Dublin yesterday. The study of more than 1,000 teenagers found a strong link between young people who regularly played violent games and increased...

Britain’s Deputy Prime Minister is to announce the introduction of a free school meal scheme in schools for infant children. The £600million plan is expected the save families an average of £437 a year per child. Under the current system, free school meals are limited to 400,000 of the poorest families. Nick Clegg will tell delegates today that he believes ‘every primary school pupil should...

Research in Scotland has found the health of pregnant women and their babies is put at risk when mothers are overweight or underweight. The analysis of 110,000 pregnancies between 2003 and 2010 showed the risk of complications increased in women with a higher BMI. These women also had an increased risk of hypertension and diabetes, which can affect the baby. While obese women were 45% more likely...

The head of Amsterdam’s health service is claiming sugar is the most dangerous drug of our times and is calling for the substance to be tightly regulated. Research has found that sugar, unlike fat, actually interferes with the body’s appetite and creates an insatiable desire to keep eating. " Whoever uses sugar wants more and more, even when they are no longer hungry. Give someone eggs and...

Do you feel you’re excluding the couples in your life who don’t have children? And worse, do you regularly make their reproductive decision a topic of conversation? While there has been an increase in the number of babies born in recent times, there are also a significant number of couples who either can’t have children or have made the decision not to have them. These couples have reported...

Private health insurers are to meet with a national infertility support group to discuss offering cover for IVF treatments. At the moment, only one health insurer offers limited cover and while a tax rebate can be claimed, the financial strain on those seeking treatments is significant. Helen Brown from the National Infertility Support and Information Group confirmed the meeting at the group’s...

Statistics show referrals to child protection services were up by a quarter in 2012. With a greater reporting of child neglect, there are huge strains on services already under pressure. As the Children First Bill is being finalised, neglect is found to be the most common form of abuse. Many children are deprived of the basic necessities of food, warmth and love. New standards of child protection...

Freebirthing, giving birth at home without medical intervention, is on the rise in Britain. Approximately 20 to 30 freebirths occur each year. Most ‘freebirthers’ believe labour works better without interference, preferring to deliver on their own without a midwife on hand or going into hospital. Women who opt to go alone believe there are little risks if you have had a healthy pregnancy and...

A study has revealed that 1-in-10 Irish three year olds are clinically obese. Dr. Muireann Cullen, manager of the Nutrition and Health Foundation, believes there needs to be a Government-led initiative to stop the spread of obesity. Already 31.8% of seven year olds are either overweight or obese. Robin Shepper, who worked on the 'Let's Move' campaign in America, says every member of...

Every primary and secondary school, in Ireland, is to have an anti-bullying policy in place by Easter. The policy will be a legal framework under the Education and Welfare Act. The procedures are to ensure a positive school experience, deal with underlying problems, restore relationships between pupils and will focus on prevention rather than cure.For the first time, policies will need to show how...