The Children’s Health Fair in February was filled with families. Children laughed and squealed during the Miss Judy Show while parents enjoyed activities, free expert advice and gifts.

“Jonah’s friend was so proud of the stickers and the toothbrush he got at the Children’s Health Fair. It’s a good thing there is another one coming up on March 12,” says Leila Hartford.

“Because once Jonah saw the loot and heard about Miss Judy’s show – it became a must-do activity.” The Campbell River Family Network

 will be at the Children’s Health Fair, at the Robron Centre on March 12, en masse. The Health Fair is a good example of how diverse the Family Network is, and how closely the members work together to make events like this successful.

The Family Network includes representatives from Aboriginal Infant Development, Building Blocks, Child Care, Early Childhood Development, government, business, School District #72 and Success by 6. All of these organizations.

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The stillbirth rate in Argentina, Democratic Republic of Congo, Guatemala, India, Pakistan and Zambia dropped after training was offered, researchers say. The study, funded by National Institutes of Health and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, tracked more than 120,000 births in the developing countries.

The researchers, led by Dr. Waldemar A. Carlo of the University of Alabama at Birmingham, tested the efficacy of a three-day Essential Newborn Care training regimen that covers basic newborn care techniques -- such as baby CPR, the importance of early breastfeeding, how to keep infants warm and dry, and signs of serious health problems.

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The stillbirth rate in Argentina, Democratic Republic of Congo, Guatemala, India, Pakistan and Zambia dropped after training was offered, researchers say. The study, funded by National Institutes of Health and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, tracked more than 120,000 births in the developing countries.

The researchers, led by Dr. Waldemar A. Carlo of the University of Alabama at Birmingham, tested the efficacy of a three-day Essential Newborn Care training regimen that covers basic newborn care techniques -- such as baby CPR, the importance of early breastfeeding, how to keep infants warm and dry, and signs of serious health problems.

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Children who are taught self-control skills, such as monitoring and controlling anger and other emotions, face significantly fewer school disciplinary referrals and suspensions, says a study.Researchers at University of Rochester Medical Center found that mentoring kids has a significant impact on their behaviour in the classroom.

The study's principal author Peter Wyman, associate professor of Psychiatry at the Medical Center, said: "It is exciting that adult mentors, who are not mental health professionals, taught children a set of skills that significantly strengthened the children's ability to function well in their classrooms and meet school expectations.

"This study suggests that with appropriate guidance from a trained adult, young children are capable of learning a great deal about their emotions and skills for handling their emotions effectively and those skills can have direct, positive benefits for their functioning in school."

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Many newborn babies and expectant mothers are being transferred long distances for care unnecessarily, a baby charity has claimed.

More than 1,500 babies a year are transferred within Scotland, many far from home, according to Bliss, the charity for sick and premature babies.

In addition it estimates that around 1,000 women a year are transferred to another hospital immediately before giving birth.

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A study has revealed that the single most preventable cause of illness and death in mothers and infants is smoking. The poisonous cigarette which contains harmful components like Carbon monoxide, Nicotine and tar can prove fatal to a foetus.

Carbon monoxide, attaches itself to the hemoglobin in the blood more readily than oxygen, and reduces the ability of the blood to carry oxygen. Nicotine stimulates the central nervous system and increases the heart rate and blood pressure.

The tar, known as cancer-causing agent includes compounds like formaldehyde, arsenic, cyanide, benzopyrene, benzene, toluene and acrolein and is capable of causing lung cancer.

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It could be just the thing to calm frazzled and tearful parents. A monitor that deciphers babies' cries, distinguishing a sleepy whimper from a hungry wail, is being developed.

The cry translator could also alert parents to hunger, the need for a nappy change or desire for a cuddle. Japanese scientists have created a computer program that analyses the pitch and pattern of cries.

So far, they have shown it to be accurate in telling painful wails from other cries. Writing in the International Journal of Biometrics.

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Two teenaged girls aged 14 and 16 were arrested in Colombia for allegedly kidnapping and performing a C-section on a pregnant woman to steal her baby, Colombian media reported on Wednesday. Events reportedly happened Monday in the town of Duitama, in the central Colombian region of Boyaca. The two suspects who are cousins deceived their 18-year-old victim by pretending to offer her a job.

According to the daily El Tiempo, the 16-year-old suspect had been pregnant but lost the baby in a fall. With her cousin, she planned to steal someone else's baby so that her boyfriend would not leave her. One of the suspects reportedly made contact with the pregnant woman and asked her to go to a solitary cellar for a job interview. When she got there, the two attackers tied her up and performed a C-section, removing the seven-month-old foetus from her womb.

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Excessive weight gain during pregnancy, especially the first trimester, may increase a woman's risk of gestational diabetes, say U.S. researchers.

Their three-year study included 345 pregnant women with gestational diabetes and 800 pregnant women without gestational diabetes, which is defined as glucose intolerance that typically occurs during the second or third trimester of pregnancy.

After the researchers adjusted for a number of factors -- age at delivery, previous births, pre-pregnancy body-mass index and race/ethnicity -- they found that women who gained more weight during pregnancy than recommended by the U.S. Institute of Medicine were 50 percent more likely to develop gestational diabetes, compared to those whose weight gain was within or below the IOM recommendations.

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Peanuts, popcorn and hot dogs all have something in common, your kids can choke on them. The American Academy of Pediatrics is recommending warning labels on foods - like carrots, grapes and nuts- that pose a high risk for little kids.

Kids are notorious for putting everything in their mouths. "Anything a kid can put in their mouth and swallow it, they will," says Dr. Ken Pippus, a Southern Colorado Pediatric Trauma Surgeon. That's why some Colorado Springs moms say they are alert when their children are eating.

"I try to monitor what they are eating according to their age," says Elizabeth Taylor, mother of two. "When they are eating you really should pay constant attention to them," says Laura-Lee Barron, mother of one. "I still don't let my kids have Jawbreakers," says Jennifer Stone, mother of two.

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