Babies & Toddlers

Preparing to welcome your second baby is a very exciting time. You may feel a little more confident knowing what to expect from a newborn.

Pain and fever are two of the most common symptoms experienced by individuals of all ages. Usually are a signal that something may be wrong.

Conjunctivitis is an inflammation of the protective membrane (conjunctiva) lining the inside of your eyelids and the whites of your eyes.

There are a wide variety of germs that can cause skin infections. The most common conditions are caused by bacteria, viruses, and fungi.

The term Dermatitis is used to describe a number of skin irritations and rashes characterised by inflammation of the skin. 

Want to celebrate Halloween this year, but trying to keep it a bit healthier? Check out our top picks for fun Halloween treats...

Compared to other countries, New Zealand has a low childhood immunisation rate.

Even if your child has been immunised, they may be missing protection against meningococcal disease.1 Meningococcal is a rare but potentially deadly..

We need to think about protecting young and old from being burns all year round.

Thanks to my dear little four-year-old niece, who pretty much lived in her plastic outdoor swimming pool in Auckland over this hot summer, I know al..

The world has been plagued by pandemics as far back as written history and beyond. Countries have responded over the centuries by closing their bord..

Meningococcal disease is caused by bacteria. Three out of every twenty people in New Zealand carry the bacteria in their nasal passages, they don’..

Chicken pox is a common childhood disease caused by the varicella virus. It causes small itchy blisters to form on the skin and also makes people fe..

Finding creative ways to encourage your children to eat and enjoy fruit and vegetables can be fun for the entire family.

Hopefully the holidays put a stop to the headlice cycle at your child’s school. If you are one of the unlucky ones, the frustrating, time-consumin..

Respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV is not a new virus, but in fact a very common, very contagious virus that infects the respiratory tract. It can ..

Bedwetting can be upsetting for parents and children and yet it is a normal part of your child’s development as they learn to control their bladde..

Middle ear infections (also known as otitis media) occur when there is inflammation or infection of the air-filled space behind the eardrum. The inf..

Whooping cough is caused by a bacteria called Bordetella pertussis that infects the lungs and airways. Whooping cough is very contagious and is pass..

Hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) is a viral illness most common in children under the age of 10. It seems to be seasonal and often occurs in the ..

Also known as impetigo, school sores are a common bacterial infection mainly affecting school-age children and more common in warmer months of the y..

There will be many parents familiar with the seal-like bark of croup and its alarming tendency to hit children in the early hours of the morning. Wh..

Chilblains (also known as pernio or perniosis) are itchy, sore, red or purple bumps that occur on the skin as a reaction to cold. Painful inflammati..

This healthy smoothie is a creamy sweet treat for toddlers and parents alike!

Toddlerhood is a time of rapid development that requires the right energy and nutrition. It is a crucial time in a young life...

Bacterial conjunctivitis occurs when bacteria infect the transparent protective membrane that lines the eyelid and covers the white part of your eye..

Children’s day is held on the first Sunday in March every year, and what a perfect opportunity to spend some time celebrating children...

The medical definition of anxiety is “a feeling of apprehension and fear, characterised by physical symptoms such as palpitations, sweating, and f..

Conjunctivitis is inflammation of the covering of your eye and inside your eye lids. This can be caused by an infection or by an allergy.

Nosebleeds are a fairly common occurrence, particularly in children, and are usually treatable at home without any medical intervention. They occur ..

Breastfeeding Awareness Week runs from the 1st to the 7th of August this year. It is part of an annual global event that celebrates breast-feeding a..

The dreaded winter cough. It’s a pain in the, ahem, chest. Count yourselves lucky if you and your family have escaped one of the many viruses doin..

Hello, Winter! Hello, Cold! Hello, Snotty Nose! Hello, Sore Throat! We’ve all now (somewhat reluctantly) welcomed in winter...a season where some ..

A cough occurs when the throat or airway has been irritated, usually by mucus or foreign particles such as dust or smoke. It is the body’s way of ..

Many people say “I’ve got the flu” when really they have a cold. While a bad cold can make you feel pretty miserable for a few days, you will ..

Sore throatMost sore throats will not be helped by antibiotics whether they are an infection or not. Most sore throats are caused by a virus. A viru..

Cuts and wounds are a part of life, especially during childhood when falling from trees or tripping on concrete are a rite of passage.

We all have bacteria growing all over our skin. The skin is the first line of protection to keep the bacteria out of our bodies. When you get a cut ..

With the latest measles outbreak people are asking their local pharmacists questions about measles: How do I catch it? What are the symptoms ..

Ahhh summer, here at last. Long sunny days, bare feet, beach swims and staying up late to roast marshmallows after dark. All things that make wonderfu..

There was a recent death from meningitis reported in the newspapers. Although meningitis is more common in winter it is good for everyone to be aware ..

As the weather continues to become warmer we see more people coming into the pharmacy to ask for help with their fungal infections. Fungi are like mus..

While child cancer is rare it has a profound effect on the entire whanau. Around 150 children are diagnosed with cancer each year in New Zealand. So e..

World Breastfeeding Week is a global event between 1 - 7th August that aims to celebrate, protect, and promote the act of breastfeeding. Breast milk i..

Cold A cold is a viral infection that affects your nose, sinuses, throat and upper chest. It usually goes away by itself in 7 to 10 days. The symptom..

Winter sport season is a time to consider concussion.

Waking up to sick kids can throw even the most efficient of routines right out the window and send one’s week into a total spin!

Looking for some expert approved, family friendly parenting advice? Well, let me help you there!

Research shows that it can take as many as 10 to 15 tastes before a child learns to appreciate a new flavour or food.

I was recently reading an article about two mums who had both breastfed their babies, and had quite different experiences. Nothing new there – women..

Poisoning – it’s a major cause of hospitalisation for young children in New Zealand.

Yeah, an altogether stunning start to an article, a title like that. I could just as easily change it to kutis (or cooties) or head lice, but…let’..

Let’s talk threadworms. Something most children are likely to get at some time during their life – especially between the ages of 5-14yrs.

Every time I set off for an outdoor adventure, I think about how lucky we are in New Zealand that we don’t have real nasties.

Our dog has had toxoplasmosis. Altogether a bit scary. I last heard the word ‘toxoplasmosis’ some 21 years ago, when pregnant with my first baby, ..

I remember ‘back in the day’ as a student nurse at Middlemore in the 1980s being astounded at the amount of respiratory illnesses on the medical w..

Producing milk to sustain life is a miraculous thing indeed. It can also be incredibly draining if you’re not looking after yourself properly and ea..

Previous health crises in places like the Havelock North gastro outbreak, have shown how easy it is for some infections to spread. Thankfully an outbr..

World breastfeeding awareness week runs in the first week of August. One of the themes has been about how breastfeeding is a key element in getting us..

Giving advice is a huge part of what I do as a pharmacist. One of the conversations I always try to make time for is to give advice...

Colic is when a baby cries for several hours a day and there is no obvious cause.

Skin is made up of different layers and substances which make it supple and tough and allow it to stretch. But sometimes skin is broken...

Threadworms look like small pieces of white cotton, about 1 cm long. The most common sign of threadworm infection is an itchy bottom.

Chicken pox, measles, mumps, rubella, slap cheek, meningitis...

Just visible to the naked eyes, the pregnant female itch mite Sarcoptes Scabiei burrows a tunnel into the skin of her human host before...

Children aged 0-4 years are most at risk of a poisoning. The most common poisoning agents are medicines.

Prior to the invention of antibiotics pneumonia killed one third of its victims, and even today, around 5% of pneumonia patients will die...

If you find headlice on a child, a suggested treatment plan involves using a combination of insecticide treatment as well as regular combing

Light enters your eye, passes through the transparent cornea onto the crystalline lens, where it's focussed onto the light-sensitive cells..

Seizures are divided into two main categories, generalised seizures in which abnormal electrical impulses affect the whole brain and local..

Otitis media is by far the most common ear problem. It is the result of an infection or inflammation in the middle ear...

Most new parents assume that sleep deprivation is all part of the job, unless they hit the jackpot and land themselves a ‘good sleeper'.

When skin problems are unsettling your baby you can usually see what you’re dealing with and can closely monitor the progress.