In the news this week...

...ADHD, Ritalin, bullying, childbirth, urine tests in US schools and truancy rates.

UN-enforceable?
The United Nations has criticised Britain's failure to outlaw smacking children. But are they right? Should we ban smacking? Could such a law ever be made to work? Have your say!

Cerebral Palsy
Some of our members have started a discussion group aimed at supporting those with cerebral palsy and their carers. Find out more from the discussions plus details of support groups here.

Small-minded?
Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) have smaller brains according to the results of a 10-year study. But it has nothing to do with medication says the US National Institute of Mental Health which undertook the study. The academics say that the children with the smallest brains are those who have taken no drugs at all.

They also say that the brains of children with ADHD develop just as normally as other children which suggests that whatever brain changes affect the disorder occur at an earlier stage of development. Critics had feared that the common use of drugs such as Ritalin had directly affected brain development. The BBC reports that today's study appears to allay these fears.

One of our members reckons this problem isn't taken seriously enough. Can you help?

So here it is...
Aaarrgghhh! It isn't even Halloween yet, but Toy Wishes magazine has already produced a list of the top dozen items it expects parents to be providing for their offspring come late December. And amid the predictable Barbie and Harry Potter spin-offs (lego Chamber of Horrors or Slime Chamber anybody?), comes a surprise contender for the title of Number One toy.

FurReal Friends are electronic plush cats that when stimulated by touch, allegedly duplicate and mimic mannerisms unique to a real cat. So if your child has always wanted a toy that sleeps in a corner all day, now's their chance.

You might as well be prepared now. See our discussion here.

Absent-minded
New figures show that the truancy rate for England remains as high as before despite a raft of Government measures aimed at bringing it down. Now there will be daily truancy patrols in the worst affected areas like Liverpool and Sandwell plus a national operation covering every major English town and city in December.

Worried about truancy? Why not ask Dr Pat Spungin, our Parenting expert.

Bully off!
One reason why kids bunk off school is bullying. Bullying is one of the most horrible things that can happen to a child. One of our members is at her wits end. Do YOU have any experience in dealing with bullies? Can YOU give her any advice? She needs YOUR help now!'

Taking the pee
Many schools in America have started urine tests in order to determine if pupils have been smoking. The issue has split US parents with some endorsing this and other random drug tests while others feel that not only is it an infringement of their children's civil liberties, it is also an affront to their dignity.

If you have any reason to complain about the way YOUR child is treated at school, find out how to complain here.

Cry baby
Spanish inventor Pedro Monagas has invented a gadget which he claims will tell you WHY your baby is crying. After analysing his son's cries, he listened to 100 other babies before coming up with the 'Why Cry' device. His noise-sensitive invention is the size of a calculator and battery-powered.

It has five faces on the screen - hungry, bored, tired, stressed and uncomfortable. 'When the baby cries, it sets off the Why Cry and in 20 seconds the little faces light up,' says Pedro. The gadget will go on sale in Spanish pharmacies later this month and will cost 95 euros (£60). Pedro, who plans to share the profits with a baby charity, is already at work on a more advanced model.

Find out more about bringing up baby here.

How was it for you?
Eight out of ten new mothers say they are frightened during labour and birth according to the National Birth and Motherhood Survey 2002. 75% said labour was more painful than they had ever imagined and more than half said ante-natal classes had not told them the truth about giving birth.

See our childbirth discussion here!

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