Do your children use Smart Phones, if so then please read this.  The Office of Fair Trading recently announced it is investigating free web and app games that encourage kids to run up bills. It will look into whether children are being unfairly pressured to pay for added content, including virtual currency such as coins, gems or fruit.

Scientists have used stem cells taken from amniotic fluid to restore gut structure and function following intestinal damage in rodents, paving the way for a new form of cell therapy to reverse serious damage from inflammation in the intestines of babies.  The study, funded by Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity, investigated a new way to treat necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), where severe inflammation destroys tissues in the gut.

Award winning American actress Gillian Anderson has launched a national school’s competition to raise money for Children with Tumours.  Gillian, the star of critically-acclaimed drama series The X-Files, will judge the charity’s annual Christmas Card Challenge which is open to all primary schools.

Most of us enjoy a cup of tea or coffee at some stage in the day, benefiting from increased concentration, focus and improved coordination. But many of us are drinking far more caffeine than does us good. Caffeine causes chemical reactions in the body that tell our adrenal glands to produce adrenalin, which gives us a rush of energy and puts us in ‘fight or flight mode’. When this happens we enter a high-alert state, as if under threat of attack. This reaction triggers the same stress response that our prehistoric ancestors experienced when defending themselves against tigers and bears.

From Friday 8^th March 2012 Parental leave has been increased from 13 to 18 weeks, meaning new mothers and fathers will be entitled to more unpaid time off work in the first five years of their child's life. The change is being made to implement a revised EU Parental Leave Directive, which was originally due for implementation in March 2012.