Fitness & Health

Early Learning Boosts Brain Resilience

Did you take music lessons in your youth? Can you speak a second language? New research sourced by Dr Weil in his brilliant daily newsletter suggests that being bilingual can stave off dementia for more than four years, and that childhood music lessons pay off much later in life by speeding brain responses to speech sounds. Scottish and Indian researchers reviewed the case histories of 684…
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Fitness & Health

Teenagers attracted by 'cute' slim cigarettes

Teenagers are most attracted to slim and superslim cigarettes with white filter tips and decorative features – describing them as ‘cute, classy and feminine’ – according to a new Cancer Research UK study to be published in the European Journal of Public Health this autumn. The 15 year olds rated slimmer brands as weaker and less harmful than ‘disgusting’ brown cigarettes. In fact, some…
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Fitness & Health

10 Ways to Prevent Colds and Flu this winter

With the flu season upon us, taking steps that may lower your risk of infection is your best defense against the fever, body aches and cough that the virus can bring on. Prevention is definitely better than cure and there are a number of precautions you can take to minimise the chances of your family getting ill this winter. Over the years we at London Mums have written lots of articles…
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Fitness & Health

Head Injuries - What to do and when to get help

Fortunately, most falls or blows to the head result in injury to the scalp only, which is usually more frightening than life threatening – the head and face are very vascular and consequently injuries bleed profusely and can be very scary! An internal head injury may have more serious implications because it could cause damage to the brain. What to look for and what to do: Call 999 or 112 if a…
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Fitness & Health

Whooping Cough - what it is and how to recognise it

Pregnant women are currently being advised to be vaccinated against Whooping cough as there has been a recent rise in cases and 9 newborn babies have died this year. Whooping cough usually starts with a sore throat, runny nose and slight fever and they feel generally tired and unwell,  within 2 or 3 days they can develop a cough. The cough can come and go but they then start to produce sticky…
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Fitness & Health

Top 5 Questions on Cerebral Palsy

Below are 5 common questions asked about cerebral palsy which will allow you to learn more about the condition and how it affects sufferers. 1. What causes cerebral palsy? Cerebral palsy is usually caused by an injury to the brain before, during or after birth. There are a variety of causes, but some common ones include: lack of oxygen to the brain, abnormal brain development or a premature/…
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Fitness & Health

Is Echinacea really helpful to fight colds?

When it comes to seasonal flu and colds I would personally do anything to prevent myself and my family getting sick… So over the years I have tried many remedies. One of them is Echinacea. But recently I have read that it is more like a placebo. I have researched a bit and I have come to the conclusion that Echinacea is good for you as a mild preventative remedy combined with good nutrition…
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Fitness & Health

First Aid and fireworks

Firework Advice and First Aid tips should something go wrong Over a four week period around November 5th more than 1,000 people are likely to suffer injuries due to fireworks. Of these accidents, nearly 600 are likely to occur at home or private parties and nearly 400 accidents are likely to  involve children under the age of 13*. Picture Supplied by Action Images The safest way to enjoy…
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Fitness & Health

Halloween & Bonfire Night tips for pets

As many of us know, our pets are very sensitive to noise and get stressed by the sight and sound of fireworks going off, so here are some suggestions for measures you can take to try and reduce their anxiety and protect them from these events that are fun for us but not at all for them. I am very passionate about divulging this information as I feel for those poor pets who are dragged to noisy…
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Fitness & Health

Yawning not contagious for autistic children

I am always fascinated by nuggets of scientific research that I read in the Science news digest newsletters from the British Science Association. This one was published on the 1st October 2013. It’s about yawning…. Yawning is often contagious, but children with autism might miss facial cues that signal a yawn, according to a new study. While many people can’t help but yawn when…
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