Saffron

I've taken the site survey on the BBC news website twice over the past couple of years. Whenever they ask how the site could be improved, I always say that it could be improved by reporting more good news AND reporting it in more detail, particularly in the field of medical advances. Yes, it's important to know when mistakes have been made, but people need to hear about successes too. I've been looking for a news website that doesn't dwell in detail on sensationally bad events, but reports the details of lots of good things too... have yet to find one. Don't even bother with major US news sites, they're even worse.

Gutted, we can't do Weds! This looks like loads of fun. Any chance you might be doing some one-off weekend sessions over the summer?

This website has decent info on diagnosis of asthma in children, although they are focused on typicsl symptoms and don't mention that atypical asthmatics can mainly have cough as a symptom. They do mention that asthmatic-type symptoms during a cold are not always indicative of asthma. So you really need a complete assessment for best diagnosis. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/asthma/diagnosis.html xx

Make a formal complaint? (Another vote for Karvol plug-ins, these are great!) xx

A referral could help diagnose (or rule out) asthma. Keep a symptom diary. Not all asthmatics have a typical wheeze. Cough can also be a sign of asthma. Paracetamol won't help a cough, and quashing a fever can be counterproductive. A low fever helps the body eliminate cold viruses. Have you tried Buttercup for cough? We've had mixed success with it in the past. The plug-in or battery-powered methol fans (Karvol does a nice one http://www.karvol.co.uk/karvolvaporiser.htm) have worked wonders for Little Saff. But the battery-powered ones really go through batteries quickly! Some people swear by chest rubs, but Little Saff hates them.

A commonly listed side effect of many cough meds (regardless of mechanism of action) is N&V, which could include tummy ache. OTC cough meds are aimed at treating acute cough. Is your daughter well in herself in between times when she has a cough, or could the cough be a chronic symptom of an underlying problem? If there is a chronic condition, OTC meds for cough are probably not going to help. Even in the case of acute cough, many recent reviews of cough meds in children both here and abroad seem to have concluded that most OTC cough meds are not effective in children and that they are often associated with increased side effects. This has led to a maojor rethink about which medicines are effective and safe for children and from what age. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4598006.stm http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/features/hard-to-swallow-the-truth-about-toddlers-cough-medicines-803077.html http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00408-011-9319-y#page-1 Has your daughter had a paeds assessment specifically aimed at addressing the issue of cough? Can you get a referral from a sympathetic GP?

There's a cafe in The Albany. You could always take him there if he's overwhelmed by the disco. But overall, if he's well-rested and fed, and he's generally socialable, it sounds like he'd have a lot of fun. Never been to kiddie disco at The Albany, but I've taken Little Saff to lots of other musical stuff and day trips to festivals when she was very young. She always really enjoyed it. I think the only way to know for sure is to give it a go! xx

Do you have a link for the website from which you got the drug info... would be curious to read the full page.

Stomach ache could be psychological/anxiety, esp'y if she's not sleeping well.

Haha, I like it: 'Fox Watch ED'!! :)

Foxhelp Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > The fox project are only open weekdays and have a > recorded message. I am praying she comes back for > them. What are the chances though? She left them > in a vunerable place ( I have dogs) > > Saffron , I am leaving out a raw egg now, thanks > for helping. > This has really upset my weekend. Oh dear :( Do keep the Forum updated. Let's hope they're ok. If the mother is quite young herself, she may not have realised your garden wasn't quite as safe as she thought (re dogs). I think it's quite normal for vixens to leave the cubs for periods of time once they're a few weeks old. Fingers crossed. xx

In a pinch... could Celia Hammond Animal Trust help? http://www.celiahammond.org/

From the nfws website above:

Here's another webpage with contact numbers: http://www.nfws.org.uk/fox_cubs.html

Are they in a sheltered area where you can observe them (sounds like they are corralled in your backgarden)? I think you're doing the right thing. Watch them 24 hours before trying to intervene. Were you able to contact the Fox Project?

from the RSPCA webpage: http://www.rspca.org.uk/allaboutanimals/wildlife/orphanedanimals

Phone the Fox Project for specific advice? http://www.foxproject.org.uk/

http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?12,11 [email protected] Be patient. Admin has a life outside the Forum! :) If you have a general question, try posting in "About this forum" http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/list.php?12. You may find that another Forumite is able to help you. xx

Ok, we booked tix for "We Need Bees" 1pm, 12 May!

pipsky2008 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > All is well with my Virgin service. I am in the > same area. However, this time last week my service > was unusably slow, > > The engineer changed my modem and power supply and > all was restored How did you get them to do that? We keep making complaints, and they keep telling us that we'll have to pay for a new router ourselves! They won't even send out anyone to have a look, despite the fact that sometimes we can only connect with a cable, wireless not working at all!!

At this point, you may be better off offering simply 'unconditional positive regard' (google the term if you're not familiar with the concept). She might not be thinking very logically if she's on the point of a meltdown (or already in a meltdown by the sound of it). If you have a line of communication, try to strengthen it by supporting her. To do otherwise may put her on the defensive and risk losing any link you have with her. Your unconditional positive regard for her doesn't mean that you agree with what she wrote, simply that you support her as a person who is going through a tough time. More than talking with her, you can support her by listening to her. xx

'Go Ape' does treetop adventures and forest segways: http://goape.co.uk/ Or what about a day of BMX racing? http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/in-the-know/london-sport-activities/9499312/bmx-tracks-london.html Or hire a self-catering accommodation, where they can venture out on cycling tours? http://kentcyclebreaks.com/ http://www.visitkent.co.uk/things-to-do/active-and-outdoors/cycling The Museum After Dark offers some interesting sessions, if your son is more inclined to something sciencey. http://www.nhm.ac.uk/visit-us/whats-on/after-hours/

Universities are not basing their decisions on your child's primary school attendance records. It has nothing to do with admissions policy. What your child is going to miss is extra time with your family if you only take a weekend. If family ties are important to you and your extended family, I'd say that trumps a few missed days at school. You can easily find the time each day to work on any coursework your child is assigned. xx

I could be wrong, but I think there's no real way to diagnose dificiency without a clinical test. Also, just because your child may be getting less than the recommended amount doesn't necessarily put them into deficiency. Everyone's needs are a little different. Here's an interesting site: https://www.infantandtoddlerforum.org/

susyp Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- ...the iron supplement i take explains how you > shouldn't take it with calcium so i'll have to > remember not to give her lamb with broccoli - so > complicated! > > Susyp, I had similar conerns regarding iron vs calcium. I asked a pharmacist about it, then did some reading of my own too. The reason iron supplements say they're contraindicated with calcium is that iron and calcium are both 2x positively charged ions, Fe2+ and Ca2+. So in ionic form, they compete with eachother for uptake, because the absorption in ionic form is dependent on the charge of the molecule. So if your iron is low but your calcium is fine, then absorption of iron is paramount. You wouldn't want calcium to compete with it. I was concerned after being on longterm iron supplementation (ferrous sulphate) that my calcium levels might be low (esp'y b/c very extended breastfeeding). The GP tested my calcium and vitamin D levels, and they were the mid-low end of normal. GP and pharmacist agreed that if I wanted to take calcium+vitD supplements to boost my levels, then just to leave a 2-4 hour gap between taking calcium vs iron supplements. However, when it comes to dietary sources of iron and calcium, its a slightly different story. In dietary form, minerals are often bound to other biological molecules, which makes them easier to absorb. It may also mean that they are absorbed in different ways or in different areas of the digestive system. So, my understanding is that there is not really a contraindication for iron- and calcium-containing foods in a standard diet (as long as you're getting a relatively balanced amount of each and not in a deficit of one or the other). You can have lamb and broc at the same time. xx