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On 13th February 2009, it was reported that Alfie Patten had become Britain’s youngest dad. But that is not the case it has been reported today.

Read our article here.

Alfie who was 12 at the time of Maisie’s conception, was thought to be the father after he had spent the night at Chantelle Steadman’s house. Now three months later, DNA tests have revealed that Tyler Barker now 15 is the biological father.

Tyler has been reported as saying that he lost his virginity to Chantelle during a one-night stand in May 2008 after spending the evening drinking at her home.

He said: ‘I did not use any contraception but Chantelle told me she would take the morning-after pill.

‘I thought she would take care of it. Her mother knew I was going to sleep with Chantelle.

‘The next morning she even asked “did you have a good night”. It was routine for boys to stay over with her in her bed.

‘But I only slept with her the once. All my mates have been teasing me but it’s not funny.’

East Sussex County Council tried to ban any reports of the case but failed.

Chantelle and Alfie were thrust into the spotlight four days after Chantelle gave birth in February. But several other boys came forward and said that they could be Maisie’s father.

Before any DNA tests were taken, Mrs Justice Baron at the High Court ruled that the rights of the teenagers took precedence over the Press’s right to report the case.

She passed an order that banned the reporting of any new information concerning Chantelle, Alfie and Maisie.

Both Richard Goodsell, 16, and Tyler Barker who live close to the Stedmans in Eastbourne, claimed paternity at the time.

Trainee chef Richard claimed he had sex at least three times with Chantelle around the time she became pregnant.

‘I know I could be the father, he said. ‘Everyone thinks I am. My friends all tell me that baby has my eyes – even my mum thinks so.’

Alfie was ‘extremely distressed’ when he was told he was not the baby’s father in March, the judgment revealed.

Front Page of The Sun Newspaper earlier this year.

Breastfeeding is a personal choice, some people do and some people don’t. But should women be offered a drug that can stop it entirely?

The anti-lactation drug – Cabergoline (marketed as Dostinex) is normally prescribed to HIV positive women to prevent passing the virus to their child. The drug suppresses the production of prolactin, the hormone that stimulates milk production in new mothers.

But the drug is now being prescribed for ‘social reasons’ to women who simply don’t want to face letting their breast milk dry up naturally or who find nursing painful.

Administered in two doses over the course of 12 hours the drug takes effect quickly.

The Department of Health recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of a baby’s life and advises mothers it can continue to benefit the baby ‘for many months after’.

Mothers are told: ‘Every day you breastfeed makes a difference to your baby’s health now and in the future.’

Dr Sam Oddie, a consultant in the neonatal unit at Bradford Royal Infirmary, said he was surprised if women were taking the drug, manufactured as Dostinex by Pfizer, to spare their figure.

He said: ‘I’ve never come across this drug and am sceptical about how widespread it is.

‘But breastfeeding helps women regain their pre-pregnancy figure more quickly and if someone chooses not to breastfeed it is almost always straightforward for them simply not breastfeed without the help of any drug.’

I found breastfeeding very painful but I am glad that I did it. I was very suprised at how quickly I regained my pre-pregnancy weight (give or take a little)!

Producing breast milk is all part of pregnancy. It is a difficult process, but what will be produced next that makes it easier for those women who want to look like nothing ever happened?

Computer giants, Apple have apologised for a “deeply offensive” iPhone application.

Called Baby Shaker, the aim of the game was to quiet a crying baby by shaking the iPhone until a pair of thick red Xs appeared over each eye of a baby drawn in black-and-white.

The application costing $0.99, was removed from iTunes on Wednesday, two days after it went on sale.

It sparked outrage from children’s groups and brain injury foundations.

Pediatrician Cindy Christian, co-director of the Center for Child Protection and Health at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, thanked Apple for finding “an unfortunate way to raise awareness” of child abuse.

“Unfortunately, more than 1,000 babies die each year from being shaken and countless more are left with permanent brain damage,” she said. “I’ll use any way we can get the message out: It’s not OK to take your frustrations out on a crying baby.”

According to new research, Britain’s children are 24th happiest out of the 29 European Member States and underage sex,drink and drugs are to blame.

It seems that the media are constantly reminding us of a generation that finds it amusing to attack people and record it on their mobile phones, carry knives and guns with them to the shops and inject themselves withpotentially fatal drugs.

Reading these stories made me consider my own childhood.

I by no means came from a privilaged background but I had two parents that loved me, a warm house to sleep in, hot meals cooked for me and clean clothes to wear. I did not get everything that I wanted and had to save weeks of pocket money to buy that toy that “I just had to have”, but we could afford a foreign holiday once a year and a trip to the cinema during school holidays.

My hobby was dancing and I was constantly being ferried from one class to another. I did not have a pushy mother, I think I pushed myself more because I enjoyed it and made a lot of friends that I still keep in contact with. It kept me off the streets and my time occupied.

As I got older, I continued with my dancing but had to add working to the equasion. This managed to pay for the clothes that I wore out on a Friday and Saturday night when I met my friends for drinks and a boogie. I am the first to admit that sometimes I went a little over the top but I was never into drugs or getting myself in such a state that I didn’t know who I was or where I was. It seems that this is where the youth of today has gone wrong.

During my working life I have been around different generations. There is definitly a divide but some are bigger than others. The question is, is there something inbuilt within a generation to make them act in a certain way?

The research conducted at the University of York has dismissed the ide

a that the rise of single parenthood and the spread of family break-up have harmed children. However it has listed poor family relationships, which is measured on whether children talk to their fathers and mothers among factors in the low score.

If we learn skills from our parents that we are then supposed to pass on to our children, where is this going to leave us in the future?

As Georgia Browne breastfeeds her baby son Monty, nothing could seem more normal or natural. At eight months old, Monty thrives on his mother’s milk, but someone else is also thriving on Georgia’s milk – her father Tim!

That’s because Tim’s battling cancer. He drinks his daughter’s breastmilk every day to boost his immune system and give him the strength to fight the disease. After researching the idea on the internet, Georgia, 27, expresses her breastmilk as often as she can for her father to drink. He has the milk on his bowl of cornflakes every morning. It’s been his daily routine for the past six months and Tim believes the milk has given him a boost.

Georgia’s world was turned upside-down when her beloved dad was diagnosed with cancer in July 2007, just a week before she was due to get married. Tim, 67, was admitted to hospital with stomach pains and within hours doctors discovered he had colon cancer. He was rushed into surgery where they operated to remove a tumour. But despite the major surgery, a tearful Tim was released in time to walk Georgia down the aisle.

‘It felt amazing having him at the wedding – it made it more emotional for everyone,’ she says. After the wedding, Georgia’s family rallied to support Tim as he went for further tests and treatment. But within weeks, he was told the cancer had spread. And soon after the family received even more devastating news – the cancer was terminal. ‘It was a terrible shock. He’d never been ill before,’ Georgia says. ‘He still is really fit. He goes to the gym three times a week.’ Tim endured gruelling chemotherapy and after a year went into remission. But the cancer returned when Georgia was pregnant with her first child.

Georgia gave birth to Monty last July and began breastfeeding. A month later, she watched a TV documentary in which an American man believed his prostate cancer had been helped because he drank breastmilk. ‘The man went to a milk bank for his supply of breastmilk and drank it in a milkshake,’ Georgia recalls. ‘I started researching on the internet immediately and found separate studies in America and Scandinavia both supporting the health benefits of breastmilk to cancer sufferers. ‘I watched the documentary and thought it was a really mad idea, if it was true,’ she says. ‘I started looking on the net and found research suggesting breastmilk helps kill cancer cells. ‘Finding out I could help was amazing. I could play my small part in helping my dad do something positive for his illness. ‘When I talked to him about it, he thought it was a great idea. He thought: “Why not?”’

Georgia broached the subject with her family before going ahead. They all thought it was fantastic and supported her 100 per cent. ‘My mum thought it was great and my sisters and brother were supportive,’ she says. With the family’s blessing, Georgia started expressing her milk for Tim straight away. She dropped the first batch round to her parents’ home in a freezer bag, which her mum popped in the freezer. ‘I thought he’d mix it into a milkshake like the man in the documentary, but when Mum defrosted it the next day, he simply poured it on his cornflakes with a splash of normal cow’s milk. He said it didn’t taste that different to cow’s milk, maybe just a bit sweeter if he didn’t get the mix right,’ Georgia says. ‘I know some people think it’s shocking but we didn’t think it was shocking at all. He thought it was funny. He was telling all his friends about it.’ Tim spoke to his doctors and nurses about drinking breastmilk and they were more than happy for him to try the unconventional treatment. ‘They told him that anything that could help was positive,’ Georgia explains. ‘They were very supportive and backed the idea.’

A month after starting the regimen, a scan of Tim’s cancer showed a slight, but distinct, improvement. Although doctors can’t say whether the breastmilk’s helped, Georgia says he’s brighter and has more energy. She has promised to continue feeding Tim for as long as she can. ‘He has been having chemo as well as drinking the milk so there’s no way of really finding out if it is helping,’ Georgia explains. ‘I’m still feeding Monty so I feed him first, then I fill a bag for my dad. We’ll continue as long as I am breastfeeding. ‘It feels like I’m doing the most natural thing for the people I love. ‘I’ve been there when he has drunk it and it’s just not an issue. ‘Not many women can say their dad drinks their breastmilk. But I would do anything to give my dad more time with me, our family and Monty.’

Taken from Australian Magazine New Idea

Mums-to-be could soon be able to play their favourite music to their unborn child. Music-loving mums-to-be could soon play tunes to their unborn child with a specially designed ‘baby iPod’.

Called the B(l)abyand is worn around the mothers waist with built-in vibration speakers, a digital MP3 player and USB adapter allow parents to upload their favourite music or their own voices and then play it directly into the womb.

Designed by Canadian student Geof Ramsey, this speciality gadget is currently in the prototype stages and could take advantage of the ‘Mozart effect’, a theory that babies are born more intelligent if exposed to classical music during pregnancy.

‘Scientists have talked about music being a catalyst for an unborn child’s mental growth for years,’ says Geof.

‘This simple device just gives mothers a chance to try out that theory and also to help form a bond with their baby before they are even born.

‘Of course, classical music is what the experts have suggested be used, but there is nothing to stop you playing your favourite Beatles track or even Led Zeppelin.’

‘Also, as a friendly addition, there are three tiny massage mechanisms in the back of the contoured belt that provide the mother to be with a relaxing massage after a long day,’ he adds.

Under a new plan to educate potential Vikki Pollards, Edexcel, the country’s biggest exam board, will recognise teen parenting courses.

These courses already coordinated by the National Community Learning Partnership will include learning how to care for newborn babies, breastfeeding, family finances and how to deal with toddler tantrums.

There is no lower age limit, and some girls were just 12 when they started. There are currently thought to be around 1,000 on courses being held in special training centres or pupil behaviour units by charities such as the YWCA. However, the number of courses running would be massively expanded now they have been accredited and could even attract Government funding.

Schools with several pregnant pupils could offer the courses themselves, provided they could attract qualified midwives and tutors to deliver them. But pregnant schoolgirls will usually be referred to a training centre to study for the course one day a week.

On completion of the course, students will gain a level one qualification, equivalent to G to D grade standard at GCSE.With no formal examinations to sit, students will instead work through a series of units, covering the practicalities of parenting as well as basic literacy, numeracy and IT skills.

Family campaigners have condemned the move as ‘irresponsible’ in a country which already has the highest teenage pregnancy rate in Europe.

They warn that the qualification will send out the message that having a baby while still at school is an ‘achievement’

An Edexcel spokesman said: ‘Schools will be made aware it’s available if they want to recommend any of their pupils who are considering pregnancy or who are already pregnant.’

But Norman Wells, director of the Family Education Trust, said ‘Awarding a qualification to pregnant teenagers and young parents sends out the message that having a baby while still at school is an achievement,’ he said.

‘And the idea that parenting courses could be made available to schoolgirls who are “considering becoming pregnant”-is as ridiculous as offeringdriving lessons to young children who are “considering driving a car”.

‘There is a danger that this kind of initiative could normalise illegal sexual activity and make it respectable for underage girls to have babies.’

Wednesday 8th April 2009 was officially the bussiest day for Everything for Parents.

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Yesterday it was suggested that parenting programmes such as Supernanny should be shown after the 9pm watershed because they give children ideas for winding up parents and teachers.

Teachers have said that young viewers of the programme mimic the behaviour shown such as swearing, answering back and throwing tantrums.

Delegates at the Association of Teachers and Lecturers conference also criticised the scheduling of ITV’s A Touch Of Frost at 4pm and adult-themed trailers for EastEnders at 5pm as well as shows such as Big Brother, Little Britain and the Catherine Tate Show.