The 31st anniversary of the Convention of the Rights of the Child came and went in 2020, writes Liz Allen. Yet not every Australian child is registered or has a birth certificate. As we reflect on the value and place of children, this gives us a...
Listening to her newly pregnant friend gush with excitement, this seasoned mother wanted to tell her that there will be bad days, when you can’t believe how tired you are, how crappy you feel, how much crying a little one can do – but that...
Strange as it may seem, Kate Middleton, Charlotte Bronte and Charles Darwin’s mother share something in common, writes Dr Penny Sheehan. They all suffered extreme nausea and vomiting during pregnancy.Obstetricians refer to the condition as hyperemesis gravidarum, but nobody is quite sure why it occurs....
Many people think having a healthy baby is all that matters, particularly for couples who have struggled to conceive, but for some parents-to-be gender disappointment can seriously affect their mental health....
'Mummy-brain' lasts a lifetime – and is beneficial in later life, writes Winnie Orchard. Our understanding of the parental brain is, itself, still in its infancy. It’s well-understood that the extreme hormonal fluctuations of pregnancy prepare a mother’s body for the physical aspects of motherhood –...
Milk is so intrinsic to us that we forget it’s even there, write Professor Ben Boyd and Dr Andy Clulow. Nine out of 10 fridges contain milk, usually from a cow, although increasingly, because we like “milk” so much, from plants. Human milk, meanwhile, is so...
People who want a baby and struggle to conceive often resort to in vitro fertilisation (IVF). While IVF has helped countless people have children, it’s expensive and comes with some risks, writes Karin Hammarberg. A new online tool can help you weigh up your options. Research...
Can you believe it!? A breakthrough in preventing miscarriages has been discovered and some of its antidote can be found in a jar of one of Australia’s national treasures, Vegemite....
New research called right@home, found disadvantaged mothers’ mental health and wellbeing improved after regular maternal and child health nurse home visits during pregnancy, continuing up until the child turned two. Trial at a Glance: Australian research has shown a positive impact on the mental health...
Most women who give birth in Australia are monitored with CTG. But it might not be the best approach, write Kirsten Small, Jennifer Fenwick, Jenny Gamble and Mary Sidebotham of Griffith University Pregnant women rightly expect that when they’re in labour, medical staff will observe them...
