The new Skip Hop Studio Tote Bag Change bag for twins

The Skip Hop Studio tote is stylish enough to pair with a little black dress, but practical enough to keep you and babies stocked for a long day at the playground. With two insulated side pockets hold babies bottles, food and sippy cups, while 12 more pockets keep your phone, wallet, keys and other personal items dry, secure and within quick reach. The Studio adjustable buggy straps attach neatly and conveniently to the handlebars of most double buggies or unclip, and Studio converts back into a tote that will look chic well past babyhood.

* 14 pockets & zip-top closure (big enough for most laptops)

* Zip pocket protected by Agion®

* Two roomy insulated side bottle pockets

* Quilted cushioned changing pad

* Water-resistant inside & out

* PVC-free, eco-friendly materials

* Snap-down front pocket lets you stash a blanket/bib underneath

* Nickel feet keep Studio off the ground & scuff-free

* Hangs neatly on a buggy & can be worn over the shoulder

* Contrasting lining makes it easy to find what you need

Dimensions 43.2 X 30.5 X 15.2 cm

The new Skip Hop Studio Tote Bag Change bag for twins

The Skip Hop Studio tote is stylish enough to pair with a little black dress, but practical enough to keep you and babies stocked for a long day at the playground. With two insulated side pockets hold babies bottles, food and sippy cups, while 12 more pockets keep your phone, wallet, keys and other personal items dry, secure and within quick reach. The Studio adjustable buggy straps attach neatly and conveniently to the handlebars of most double buggies or unclip, and Studio converts back into a tote that will look chic well past babyhood.

* 14 pockets & zip-top closure (big enough for most laptops)

* Zip pocket protected by Agion®

* Two roomy insulated side bottle pockets

* Quilted cushioned changing pad

* Water-resistant inside & out

* PVC-free, eco-friendly materials

* Snap-down front pocket lets you stash a blanket/bib underneath

* Nickel feet keep Studio off the ground & scuff-free

* Hangs neatly on a buggy & can be worn over the shoulder

* Contrasting lining makes it easy to find what you need

Dimensions 43.2 X 30.5 X 15.2 cm

The new Bubzilla Baby Sling comes to twins-store

We are so pleased to be one of the first to offer the brand new Bubzilla Baby Sling, so much to say about this - not sure where to start, but have a look at the twins-store for more info.

The new Bubzilla Baby Sling is made from 100% soft cottondrill to guarantee quality and durability, giving you 'hands free' convenience without ever compromising the safety or comfort of your baby. Wearing your baby will reduce crying, wind and colic as it increases cardiac output and gentle assisits in toning baby's muscles, which in turn increases circulation and promotes better respiratory function and digestion.

rgu - Mum of triplets struggles through to graduate

Iboro Edem (29), who has successfully completed her course despite giving birth to triplets only four months ago, will graduate at 2.30pm on Thursday 4 December with an MSc in International Marketing from the Robert Gordon University

Iboro, from Akwa Ibom State in Nigeria, originally studied Communication Arts and worked as a Client Service Executive at LTC-JWT Advertising until 2005 when she joined Virgin Nigeria Airways as a Marketing Coordinator, responsible for branding and marketing communication. Iboro said, "I wanted to add more value to my CV and pursue new challenging responsibilities in multinational companies, so enrolled for the Masters at the Robert Gordon University."

Iboro and her husband Emmanuel Jude had to put all their savings towards her studies. Indeed, they were both accepted to study in the UK, but because they did not have enough finances to study simultaneously, he had to defer his offer while he continued to work in Nigeria to support her.

Five months before Iboro began the course in September last year, she sadly suffered a miscarriage when she was 20 weeks pregnant. She continues, "It was a very traumatic period for us." However, after one of her husband’s visits to her in November 2007, Iboro found out she was pregnant again.

Early in her pregnancy she went for a scan and discovered she was expecting triplets. She continues, "It was really shocking because there is no history of multiple births in either of our families. However, we accepted it as God's blessing for our previous loss."

Iboro continues, "It was not easy attending classes and carrying so much weight around. Sitting up to study and doing my coursework was very uncomfortable. I could not put in as much effort as I would have liked to and had to seek assistance from friends and lecturers to help with such things as borrowing heavy books from the library. I had to deal with fatigue, swollen feet, and pelvic pain from the weight. It was a relief after the second semester since I did not have to go out every day to attend lectures and could work on my dissertation from home."

At 34 weeks Iboro had to be admitted to hospital for close monitoring in case she went into early labour, with the target date for an elective c-section at 36 weeks so that the babies would be able to survive without neonatal care. At 35 weeks and six days, on 24 July, Iboro gave birth to three healthy baby boys Nathaniel, Johnathan and Ethan.

Iboro's mum came over to Aberdeen to help with the babies and stayed so that Iboro could complete her dissertation. She continues, "Being a go-getter, I just had to keep going with my dissertation even though I knew I was straining my health and was not giving the babies all the attention they required. I had the option of deferring but I chose to continue and, barely a month after giving birth, I returned to complete my studies. Even though the babies would be more settled when they are a few months older, my mum would not be here to help out and that would mean incurring expenses on child care.

"There were days when I barely wrote a sentence because I was shuttling from one baby to the other; however I made sure that I worked every other day. Most times, while my mum held two babies, I held one with one arm while typing my dissertation with the other!

"I was given an extension for my dissertation submission and was determined to meet this deadline. The babies needed to feed every three hours and just when we managed to feed the last one, we realised it was almost time for the next feed. So, I had to eat, scribble some words, and prepare to feed them again. I hardly ever had three hours straight sleep at night, and of course there was hardly any sleep during the day.

Regardless of how hectic it's been, studying here has been really worthwhile. Meeting people from different parts of the world and learning more about their cultures has been quite an experience. I thank my friends and lecturers, who were very helpful and supportive, without whom things would have been almost impossible. I thank God, my darling husband, our triplets, my family and in-laws for their love and support."

triplets products

timesonline - Best of Times, Worst of Times: Jackie Clune

Jackie Clune, 42, is an actress and stand-up comedian. Three years ago she gave birth to triplets: Frank, Thady and Orla. Here she recalls her shock at learning she was pregnant, and how she coped with their battle to survive

I didn’t ever think I was going to have children. It wasn’t something I yearned for. Then I met Richard and suddenly felt very settled. I had my first child, Saoirse, when I was 37 — a dream baby. Then, 11 months later, I fell pregnant again. Rather casually, I left the first scan until 14 weeks. When they told me there were three, I was absolutely horrified. But then this innate Pollyanna sensibility kicked in and I thought: “It’ll be all right.” I’m not a worrier, which is lucky, because I could have worried myself to death over this. I phoned the Twins and Multiple Birth Association. The first thing the woman said was “Congratulations, you’re a very special lady,” which appealed to the diva in me enormously.

I tottered into my appointment with a foetal medicine expert saying: “I’m having triplets! I’m special!” He then explained all the risks: placental failure, miscarriage, chromosomal abnormality, early labour and the possibility of them not surviving their first few weeks of life. After that I didn’t feel special any more: I felt like a cat producing a litter.

It took months to get my head around it. We didn’t have any money. We’d just bought a big house in north London and didn’t know how we were going to pay the mortgage. I was doing bits of stand-up, but our income was pretty low. By 20 weeks I looked full-term. By week 30 I was hiring mobility scooters at Asda.

I couldn’t get upstairs, couldn’t sit, couldn’t stand, couldn’t sleep. It was just atrocious. I begged to be delivered at 31 weeks because I couldn’t breathe.

I felt as though I had a family of labradors sitting on my chest, and it was scaring me. By the time I delivered at 35 weeks, my stomach measured 55 inches and I’d lost my sense of humour completely.

There were 20 people in the operating theatre for my caesarean. Boy number one, Frank, was whisked past me to the Nicu [neonatal intensive care unit]. Then his identical twin, Thady, disappeared. Their sister, Orla, the smallest, was fine, but by 10 o’clock that evening, 12 hours later, I still hadn’t seen the boys. I’d been told a day in the womb is equal to a week in an incubator, but it hadn’t hit me what that actually meant.

Finally, a paediatrician said the boys’ lungs were very immature and they’d both been intubated. When I eventually saw them they had wires everywhere and huge tubes stuck down their gullets. At first we were told they’d be there for a few hours, which turned into weeks. The doctors tried to take them off their respirators, but they couldn’t cope. It was days before I even touched them.

I’d shuffle round to deliver expressed breast milk, and when I came back Orla would be lying silently in the dark, which made me cry. It was as if she’d got used to the idea that she had to share me.

After a couple of weeks the boys’ nasal tubes were taken out for a few minutes to let me breast-feed. Then, one day when I’d just fed Thady, I turned round to pick up Frank and I heard a nurse behind me say: “Call a doctor!”

In those seconds Thady had stopped breathing and was changing colour from pink to blue. He was rushed away and I watched as if it were an episode of ER.

It felt like an out-of-body experience.

I’d felt guilty I hadn’t bonded with the boys, but in that instant I was so upset and shocked and shaken, the floodgates of maternal love opened. The Nicu was a place of extraordinary emotional extremes. One night, a mum lost a baby. I was awake and heard her screaming, and In the morning the cot next to Frank’s was empty. The other extreme was the baby born on Christmas Day weighing under 500 grams. He’d been there five months and I never once saw anyone visit. A nurse said: “Sometimes the mothers never come back.”

When I brought them home, people said: “How will you manage three newborns and a toddler?” But having a five-year-old and three three-year-olds is much harder. I’ve also done a few big runs: Mamma Mia! when they were seven months old, and now Billy Elliot, and I’m pathologically tired. The boys battle constantly. It can’t be easy having a brother who looks just like you and who has the toy you want. I’ve tried to be a bit existential about it, but you still want to brain them. When I was pregnant they were all crunched together, nose to cheek, elbows sticking in each other’s bums, and they’re still like that — they move in a huddle, battling like mad. Thady is the most difficult. He screams and cries and throws himself on the floor and it’s hard not to get wound up — he really does push you over the edge. But somehow I’m able to take a step back, because everything that happened informs my relationship with him. I remember the day I saw him nearly die and something in me goes: “It’s okay. He’s having a tantrum, but he’s here.”

Jackie Clune is now appearing as Mrs Wilkinson in Billy Elliot: The Musical at the Victoria Palace Theatre, London

telegraph - EU to offer 18 weeks fully paid maternity leave

The plan, to be announced by the EU's social affairs commissioner Vladimir Spidla, will impose six weeks of compulsory leave for new mothers after the birth, with the remaining 12 weeks to be split either before or after the child is born.

Under existing laws, introduced in 1992, the EU enforces a minimum of 14 weeks of fully paid leave.

Brussels sets the minimum length of maternity leave and pay, but member states may offer more generous provisions beyond this level.

Maternity leave periods range from 14 weeks in Germany and 16 weeks in France, the Netherlands and Spain, to 45 weeks in Bulgaria.

Sweden is particularly generous, offering a year of parental leave at full pay, which can be transferred to the father.

The UK also offers 52 weeks of maternity leave, 39 of which are paid, but at a rate of 90 per cent of their average pay for six weeks and a fixed sum of £117.18 a week for the other 33 weeks.

The government has broadly welcomed the commission's desire to increase the length of maternity leave.

But it is concerned that if accompanied by an increase in pay, the UK might be forced to reduce its allowable period of maternity leave.

An official with the British mission to the EU told The Daily Telegraph: "It would have a huge cost to the public purse, and we don't want to be weighing up the length of time mothers take off against what they are paid."

The Conservative Party has attacked the proposals as "ill-judged" and wants them reconsidered.

"Decisions regarding maternity leave and maternity pay should be made by national governments, not the EU," said Philip Bushill-Matthews MEP, the Conservative leader and employment spokesman in the European parliament. "It is not for Brussels to tell British mothers and fathers how much leave they should take.

"Small businesses will struggle to afford this extra cost. Ultimately some of the smallest businesses may think twice about employing young women through fear of them going on maternity leave."

Following Ireland's vote against the EU's Lisbon Treaty, some Brussels officials are eager to enthuse people with a series of more generous, socially oriented proposals.

The plan, which must yet be approved by EU member states and the European Parliament, would force employers to offer additional leave in the case of premature childbirth, when an infant that is hospitalised at birth or in the event of multiple births.

Mothers would also win the right to return to the same job or a similar one but with the same terms and conditions.

Employers would find it harder to fire mothers within six months of the end of the maternity leave. If dismissed within this period, they could ask for a written explanation.

mirror - My baby gave her twin cancer... in the womb

Weeks after she gave birth to two girls Alissa Dunn was dealt a double blow – in an incredibly rare case one of her daughters caught cancer from the other. Here she describes their fight..
When my two-month-old daughter Maddie’s stomach became bloated I didn’t think it was anything serious.
Even when she vomited, I thought it would be nothing more than a tummy upset. But at a check-up for Maddie and her identical twin sister Bella, the doctor told me she needed to go to hospital.
I began to fear the worst. And soon my fears were confirmed – Maddie had cancer.
But a few days later things got worse. Maddie had given it to her twin sister too, while they were both growing in my womb
I’d had a trouble-free pregnancy. Maddie and Isabella – who we call Bella – were born at 37-and-a-half weeks on July 4.
Isabella was born first at 4.28am, weighing 5lb 12oz. Then under 15 minutes later Maddie came along, weighing 5lb 8oz.
I had a feeling I was having boys so it was surreal when I saw these two perfect little girls. We already had a son, Isaiah, three, but I’d always wanted a girl so I felt our family was complete.
Just 24 hours later I took the girls home. They were very docile babies, and by eight weeks they were sleeping through the night.
Then, a few days before their two-month check-up, Maddie seemed a bit off-colour. Her tummy was slightly bloated and she vomited too.
The doctor prescribed drops, for wind, but she was still unwell at her check-up. The doctor said Maddie needed X-rays and I began to feel that something was horribly wrong.
On the way to the hospital I looked at my husband Michael, 32, and without thinking, I blurted out: ‘What if it’s cancer?’
I don’t know why it crossed my mind. But I clung to Bella while the doctors ran tests on Maddie.
A few hours later doctors broke devastating news.
Maddie had a neuroblastoma – a massive cancerous tumour in her abdomen. She was admitted to intensive care, where the doctors fussed round, covering her in tubes and wires as I willed her to pull through.
It was the worst moment of my life. I had to stay strong for Bella and Isaiah but all I could think about was Maddie lying in her tiny incubator.
Then, three days later, when she came to visit, I noticed that Bella’s tummy was swollen too. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.
We rushed to tell the doctors straight away. I prayed there was no way lightning could strike twice.
But after countless tests, the doctors diagnosed Bella with cancer too.
It didn’t feel real.
The only difference was that while Maddie had a tumour, Bella didn’t. Her body was full of cancerous cells – in her bone marrow and blood, but not growing in a ball like Maddie’s. The doctors decided there was only one way it could have happened – Bella had ‘caught’ cancer from her sister through the placenta while they were still in the womb.
Because they shared the same blood, the cancer had passed between them. It was only the ninth recorded case of it happening in the world. The girls needed urgent treatment.
Maddie’s cancer was stage four – the worst kind.
I knew deep down what the prognosis could be, but it was still a shock when the doctors said that she only had a 20 per cent chance of survival.
Bella would have to go through chemotherapy too. All I could do was hope the doctors could mend their tiny bodies before the cancer took hold completely. They lay in intensive care surrounded by wires while I looked on helplessly.

Watching the girls fight it was agony. Worst of all I couldn’t pick them up because of risk of infection. And they were in so much pain that touching would have worsened it.
As their mum there was nothing I could do. I told myself I had to stay strong so they could take strength from me. I was sure they could feel my desperation, though.
And the girls were so amazing throughout they made us braver. No matter how much they were poked by the doctors, they would just cry for a second and then let the doctors get on with it. They were my inspiration.
But as their tufts of soft hair fell out from the chemo, my heart broke. I should have been watching my girls grow into toddlers, not waiting to find downy hair on their pillows.
While Isaiah stayed at home with my family, Michael, my mum and I lived in a special house for families with children at the hospital, so we could be close to the girls.
Maddie was on a ventilator because she couldn’t breathe on her own and they were both on big doses of morphine.
But I needed to be with Isaiah too. He was so young and needed his mum. And thankfully my mum, Lora, always stayed with the girls when I went home to see him.
One day, about three weeks after the girls were admitted, I came home and saw their babygrows in the airing cupboard.
I lost it. I screamed and cried, all my anger and fear pouring out.
I felt so cheated that these first weeks of their life were being snatched from me and that they might not ever make it home again.
Finally, 44 days later, the doctors said the girls were well enough to come home with us. I held them close as I carried them to the car.
They’d been through two gruelling rounds of chemo and still needed more anti-cancer drugs. But all that mattered was I could have them with me, in their room at our house in Grand Blanc, Michigan, USA.
Having them back home with us was amazing. Just being able to bathe and feed them was a joy. Though we did have to take the girls back to hospital for more treatment.
On December 20, 2007, we got the news I’d hoped so badly for. After four rounds of chemotherapy my little girls were cancer-free. It felt so amazing. I couldn’t believe they’d both beaten the cancer.
It’s a year on now, and both girls are doing well. Their hair has grown back, and they are both full of life.
They still need regular scans and blood and urine tests to check the cancer hasn’t returned, and it’s hard not to want to wrap them up in cotton wool.
They can both walk already – it’s such a change from seeing them lying in their hospital cots surrounded by wires – and as they totter around the house I feel so lucky.
Some people have asked me whether I’ll tell Maddie she ‘gave’ Bella cancer, and of course I will. It’s nothing to feel bad about – she had no control over it
And in a weird way I think it’s for the best that Bella got it too. Otherwise Bella couldn’t have been with Maddie through her treatment and I’m sure it was their incredible bond that gave Maddie the strength to fight.
Dr Bruce Morland, a consultant specialist in children’s cancer and the Chairman of Children’s Cancer and Leukaemia Group, says: “This is fantastically rare.
“Neuroblastoma is one of the more common tumours. But like leukaemia it’s blood borne and as identical twins share a blood supply and a placenta then it can be ‘caught’.
“However it’s a one-way stream, so the mother won’t catch it. It couldn’t happen with non identical twins as they don’t share a placenta or blood supply.
“Neuroblastoma is quite common among infants and it’s not uncommon to be diagnosed on a scan or early in a baby’s life. Fortunately the majority of infants with neuroblastoma can be cured.”

bridlingtonfreepress - Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt will have to - so how do you cope with twins?

Following news that Angelina Jolie gave birth to twins, we look at what she and partner Brad Pitt will be going through in the early days and ask the experts how they'll cope as they welcome the babies into their family.
Hollywood's golden couple, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt – already the parents of four children – are now celebrating the birth of twins.Angelina, 33, gave birth to a boy, Knox Leon, and a girl, Vivienne Marcheline, by Caesarean in a hospital in the South of France. Brad, 44, was by Angelina's side. The tiny pair –- weighing around 5lb each – join Cambodian-born Maddox, aged six, Vietnamese-born Pax Thien, four, and Ethiopian-born Zahara, three, as well as the couple's biological daughter, two-year-old Shiloh.The wealthy superstars undoubtedly have already experienced some of the highs, lows and demands of parenthood with their multicultural "rainbow" family. But having twins is a uniquely challenging – as well as joyful – experience according to childcare experts and other famous parents of twins.TV presenter Alice Beer, mother of five-year-old twin girls Dora and Phoebe warns: "No matter how much money you can throw at it, those early months with twins are inevitably blooming hard work! So although having twins is incredible it's also non-stop and exhausting."There are around 11,000 twin and multiple births each year in the UK and that average is set to rise as women delay parenthood until after 30 and are increasingly overweight – both factors which raise the likelihood of twins. Alice, co-author with leading baby expert Gina Ford of the book A Contented House with Twins admits: "Nothing quite prepares you for the reality of having twins."Those first weeks were quite a shock. I had a Caesarian like Angelina and so I was not only sore and fragile after having an operation but also having to cope with two babies instead of just one."There are have been reports the first photographs of the film star couple and their twins are going for £8 million – a fee they plan to donate to charity.Alice, 43, says that she agreed to a Hello! exclusive, with the fee going to charity Tamba (the Twins and Multiple Births Association, www.tamba.org.uk). Alice jokes: "I'd advise Angelina not to rush to have those photos done. I must have been high on some kind of hormone when I agreed to it!"The twins were only about four months old when the magazine came and I was still finding it pretty stressful even to get myself organised enough to leave the house with the twins in tow, let alone getting them both looking perfect – at the same time – in their best outfits for photographs!" She adds: "You can't anticipate how much of your life is going to be stolen by these tiny babies. It's unbelievable."My husband Paul and I, who pre-twins were incredibly organised and punctual, found we always got everywhere two hours late – if at all."And she has some advice for Brad and Angelina. "You need to be a team. That's the way Paul and I got through. He would hold one baby and walk around with her while I fed the other, or we would be cuddling them both together.
With twins both of you always seem to have your hands full with one of them."For Brad and Angelina there will have been the initial joy and relief at the birth of healthy babies – twins are more likely to be premature and Angelina's planned Caesarian was brought forward for "medical reasons". GP Dr Carol Cooper, who is also a parent of twins and author of Twins And Multiple Births, says the higher risk of post-natal depression is not surprising: "Think two babies crying at different times, waking at different times and wanting feeding at different times. Life can become just looking after the babies 24/7."Brad and Angelina are privileged and wealthy, but for ordinary couples there may be the added stress of affording two of everything, perhaps even having to get a larger car or house. It can all add to the strain."Family and friends may underestimate the early challenge of twins, she adds. "Naturally everyone is happy for you when you have a baby – and especially two which may be a novelty in the family. But if everyone around you keeps saying, 'You're so lucky! How marvellous! Twins!' it can heighten your feelings of inadequacy if you're actually not always feeling lucky but are anxious, worried you're not coping and feeling low following the births. "Things that are straightforward with a single baby become difficult if not impossible with two. For instance, if you're holding two babies you have no hands free so you can't shut a door, make a snack or answer a phone – all possible when holding just one baby. It's helpful if family and close friends offer to do practical things for you to give you a break." Dr Cooper had an son of two when her twins (now 21) were born. "In general, a child that age can find it hard to adjust to the arrival of one baby – let alone two. They feel jealous and pushed aside and once it dawns on them that the babies are not going to be sent back – young siblings often think this is an option in the early days! – they can be quite troublesome."It's all attention seeking and will usually settle quickly as long as the parents give the child separate attention to make them feel special, too."Rumour has it that Brad and Angelina have already sought advice from other celebrity parents of twins particularly Julia Roberts and Danny Moder – who have a son and a daughter now three, Phinnaeus and Hazel.Brad is said to have asked Julia (Brad's co-star in Ocean's 11) whether there were different rules for bringing up twins as opposed to single children, to which she replied: "It's the same – only twice as hard!"

Mail - Two babies die and 1,200 more fall sick as industrial chemical is added to baby milk formula

Two babies died and more than 1,200 were left sick after an industrial chemical was added to milk in China, it emerged today.
Today 53 infants were fighting for their lives and 240 were being treated in hospital after developing kidney stones from drinking the contaminated formula.
Chinese police have arrested two brothers they suspect added melamine, a chemical used in plastics, to watered-down milk at their dairy collection centre to make it appear higher in protein.

Worried: A father stands by his ill son holding a packet of contaminated formula
It was then sold on to Sanlu, China’s biggest provider of powdered milk, and turned into baby formula.
The firm, which is partly owned by New Zealand dairy farmers’ cooperative Fonterra, has now been ordered to cease production pending an investigation.
The brothers are accused of selling Sanlu about three tons of contaminated milk a day, Hebei police spokesman Shi Guizhong said.
Chinese investigators say melamine may have been added to the milk to fool quality tests after water was added to fraudulently increase the milk’s volume.
Melamine is rich in nitrogen, and standard tests for protein in food ingredients measure nitrogen levels.
China’s Health Ministry said a total of 1,253 babies have been sickened after drinking the formula.
Vice Health Minister Ma Xiaowei told a news conference that 913 of the infants were only slightly affected and their condition was not considered life threatening.
However, 340 remained in hospitaland 53 cases were considered especially severe, he said.
No information was given about the fatalities.
Critics have claimed the problem had been known of for weeks, but had been hushed up because China did not want bad publicity during the Olympics.
Sanlu is 43 percent owned by a New Zealand firm Fonterra, the world’s biggest milk trader.
New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark said today that she had learned of the problem on September 5 .
She convened a meeting of senior ministers three days later at which she ordered officials to directly inform senior authorities in Beijing.
At the time provincial Chinese officials appeared to be dragging their feet in ordering a recall.
‘We were the whistle blowers and they leapt in and ensured there was action on the ground,’ Clark told reporters.
‘At a local level ... I think the first inclination was to try and put a towel over it and deal with it without an official recall,’ she said.
Fonterra said it had urged Sanlu to recall the product as early as six weeks ago. Sanlu did not order a recall until last Thursday.
Chinese officials have defended their response to the country’s latest product safety disaster but blamed Sanlu Group for delays in warning the public.
Inspectors will check the country’s 175 baby milk food factories and their findings will be released within two days, Li said.
The incident is an embarrassing failure for China’s product safety system, which was overhauled in an attempt to restore consumer confidence after a string of recalls and warnings abroad over tainted toothpaste, faulty tires and other goods.
The milk scandal is especially damaging because it involves a major Chinese food company and the government expects such companies to act as industry role models for safety and quality.
Shoddy and fake goods are common in China, and infants, hospital patients and others have been killed or injured by tainted or fake milk, medicines, liquor and other products.

mailonsunday - Twin girls born either side of midnight to be split up in school - because they fall in different academic years

As twin girls, the parents of one-week-old Lexus and Amber Conway expected them to share everything as they grew up.
But the possibility they will be separated for much of their formative years is already hanging over the pair - and all because they were born either side of midnight.
The girls were born just 45 minutes apart on the the night of August 31, but one arrived before it officially became September 1 and one after.
A matter of minutes means they are now facing being separated at school because their official birthdays fall either side of the division for academic years.

Unique: Newborn twin girls Lexus (left) and Amber face being schooled apart because they were born on either side of the cut-off date for academic years
Under the current rules, Lexus would be able to go to school aged four but because she was born slightly later, Amber would have to wait until she was five.
Their parents, Sarah Conway and Ian Caldwell, however, are determined they will not be split up and plan to fight for the next four years to prevent it.
Miss Conway said: 'Doing everything together is what being a twin is all about. How could I keep one at home and send one to school?
'I've been told this is a really unique case and I'm going to fight to make sure they go to school together even if it takes me the next four years.'
The 37-year-old administrator gave birth to Lexus naturally at 11.40pm on August 31at the Barratt Maternity Unit in Northampton.
Amber was delivered by Caesarean section just 45 minutes later but by that time, it had become September 1.
'The midwife said it was the first time she had ever heard of this happening to twins,' Miss Conway, from Northampton, said.
'It's such a shame for the girls, especially as Amber only missed the cut-off point by a matter of minutes.
'We tried to persuade the registry office to give them both August 31 as their birthdays but they said there was no leeway.'

Determined: Parents Sarah Conway and Ian Caldwell plan to fight to ensure their daughters can go to school at the same time
Mr Caldwell, who is also a twin, said they would teach the girls at home or move to Spain if they cannot start school together.
'My family live in Spain and they have a different academic year so we'd rather move out there than split up the twins,' his girlfriend added. .
Keith Reed, chief executive of the charity The Twins and Multiple Births Association, said this was the first case of its kind he had ever heard of.
'It's highly unusual for twins to be born in separate school years and I hope the local authority gives due regard to the individual needs of the children and family involved,' he said.
Northamptonshire County Council, the family's local authority, have also never encountered such a scenario before.
A spokesman said: 'We will need to look into this nearer the time Lexus and Amber are due to start school as part of their overall application for a school place.
'Any decision made will be in the best interests of both children as well as taking into consideration the wishes of the parents.'

dailyrecord - Mum blasts bus company after being told baby triplets can't ride for free

A MUM who was told she must pay to take one of her baby triplets on a bus has accused bosses of discrimination.
Carolyn Armstrong says she was "outraged" when drivers told her only two children under five could travel free.
They refused to back down even though the family do not use a single seat and Carolyn already pays for six-year-old son Euan.
Full-time mum Carolyn, 43, parks her double buggy in the wheelchair bay at the front of the bus and stands with the third triplet in a carrier on her back.
She gets off the bus if a wheelchair user requires the space.
But she says the only reply she has received to her complaints from Lothian Buses - in which Edinburgh City Council are the major shareholders - has been a copy of their policy.
Most other firms, including First Bus, say drivers are encouraged to use discretion when it comes to babies. They say mothers need not pay unless the children are occupying seats.
Former British Airways purser Carolyn, from Corstorphine, Edinburgh, said her husband Ricky, 49, a finance manager for Alliance Boots Pharmacies, often works away.
That leaves her to cope with 21-month-old triplets Ben, Laura and Grace and Euan alone.
She said: "I have always used the bus to get into the city centre - the number 26. But when I took the triplets I was shocked to be asked to pay extra money.
"I pay for Euan. If my babies were walking about and sitting on seats then I would have no problem paying for them too.
"But two stay in the double buggy while I have the other baby in a backpack on my back while I stand. They don't charge if you have a rucksack on your back.
"It is hard enough being in charge of triplet babies and I find myself limited in what I can do and where we can go now.
"I've written to Lothian Buses on several occasions but they just quote their policy. Some of the drivers have been quite rude."
She added that the firm's policy was "blatant discrimination".
A spokesman for Lothian Buses said: "Our conditions clearly state two children under the age of five can travel free with every full farepaying passenger. Additional children pay the child fare of 60p."
A spokeswoman for the Twins and Multiple Births Association said: "This is shocking. It is difficult enough to get out when you have twins, triplets or more in the first place."

irishhealth - Caesarean mums not as responsive to crying

Mothers who give birth vaginally are more responsive to the cries of their baby compared to mothers who have a Caesarean section, the results of a new study indicate.The number of women undergoing Caesarean sections in Ireland has been rising steadily in recent years. According to the latest figures available, one in four births (25%) in Irish hospitals are now by Caesarean, compared to just 12% in 1992.Researchers at Yale University in the US carried out MRI scans on women up to four weeks after giving birth. They found that mothers who had given birth vaginally were significantly more sensitive to their own baby’s crying. This was noted in the scans in the regions of the brain that are believed to regulate emotions, motivation and habitual behaviours.According to the researchers, the capacity of adults to develop the thoughts and behaviours needed for parents to care successfully for their newborn infants is supported by specific brain circuits and a range of hormones.They noted that a vaginal birth involves the release of oxytocin, a key hormone linked with maternal behaviour, while a Caesarean section does not.“We wondered which brain areas would be less active in parents who delivered by Caesarean section, given that this mode of delivery has been associated with decreased maternal behaviours in animal models and a trend for increased postnatal depression in humans,” explained lead author, Dr James Swain.He said that their results support the theory that variations in delivery conditions, such as with a Caesarean section, ‘alter the neurohormonal experiences of childbirth and might decrease the responsiveness of the human maternal brain in the early postpartum’.

irishtimes - Twin support: from first-hand experience

PARENTS OF twins are adamant that people who have had only single babies "just don't get" what it's like to have two at the same time. So hearing about first-hand experience of twins is invaluable.
The Irish Multiple Birth Association (IMBA), which is run by volunteers, holds information meetings and is in the process of setting up local twin clubs. There's already one in Naas, Co Kildare, and in Galway, with others planned for north and south Dublin from the autumn.
"This time last year I would love to have gone along to such a group and met other expectant parents," says Siobhan Cullen, the mother of 10-month-old twins Albha and Caoimhe, as well as Donnacha who is two and a half.
"I called the IMBA when I was pregnant as it was the only place I could find information in an Irish context. Everybody's experience is different so it's helpful to talk to other mothers who have been through it, rather than get just one perspective."
Getting twins into a routine is key, she says. But that's easier said than done with two very different babies. It took her and her husband, Sylvester, four or five months before they got them into a routine.
Now she is a committee member of the IMBA, which is based in Carmichael House, Dublin 7. Most of the callers to its helpline are people expecting twins, who have queries about practical issues such as breastfeeding, co-sleeping, the best buggy, what financial support is available when you're having to buy two of many things.
Thanks to the tireless campaigning of Mairead Hilliard in the 1990s, the child allowance for each twin is 150 per cent of the standard rate.
As a mother of twin girls, who are now 25, "I found out triplets had been getting double payments since 1965," she explains and she thought it unfair there was nothing extra for twins. She wrote to newspapers, encouraged people to lobby their TDs, and badgered a succession of government ministers, until increased payments were announced in the budget speech of December 1997.
Hilliard also set up the first support group, Parents of Twins Ireland, and still runs a helpline today from her home in Lucan, Co Dublin.
Social welfare grants of €635 are also paid at the birth of twins, at age four and again at age 12.
The number of twin births in the Republic is rising, as women increasingly delay motherhood, and fertility treatment becomes more widespread.
Some 937 sets of twins were born live in the Republic in 2005, along with 13 sets of triplets and one set of quadruplets, according to the Central Statistics Office. This is equivalent to a rate of 15.5 sets of twins born live per 1,000 pregnancies, compared to 10.5 in 1985.
"I was in Blanchardstown Shopping Centre the other day and I walked past seven sets of twins in about 15 minutes," says Sarah Harris, public relations officer for IMBA and the mother of twins, Elle and Annaleigh, who turned one last Saturday, as well as three-year-old Jodi.
Living in Swords, she is helping to set up the north Dublin twin group which is due to start in the autumn but does not have a venue yet. The south Dublin group will have its first meeting in Marley Grange Parish Centre on October 1st.
The association will be guided by what members want, but as well as offering social contact, Harris says they are hoping to invite professionals to speak on multiple birth topics such as nutrition, education, psychological development, etc.
"Our website is being revamped," she adds, "our services expanded and our events and clubs will be a real benefit to parents and their children in the years ahead."

National Research Strategy demanded to tackle premature baby deaths

The largest cause of infant mortality in the UK requires urgent government action, a leading scientist will tell MPs, Weds 16th July 2008. In a speech due to be given at the House of Commons, Professor Michael Taggart, Chair of Reproductive Sciences at Newcastle University will call on the government to develop the UK’s first, 10-year National Research Strategy to tackle premature birth.
Professor Taggart’s comments will be made at the launch of the charity Action Medical Research’s report, The Tiny Lives Charter, which argues that long term government support is needed to improve understanding of the causes of premature birth and find ways to reduce it. The report pulls together the views of leading medical experts, researchers, and professional and parent organisations. The call is also backed by a cross-party group of nearly 50 MPs.
Each year in the UK an estimated 50,000 babies are born prematurely — before 37 weeks of pregnancy (1,2,a). Each week more than 25 babies die as a result of complications arising from premature birth, the largest cause of infant mortality in the UK (3-5,b-c).
There are current government policies that focus on reducing infant mortality rates by tackling health inequalities and addressing known risk factors, as well as initiatives to continue to improve services. However, none focuses exclusively on the role of medical research in tackling premature birth.
Dr Yolande Harley, Deputy Director of Research at Action Medical Research explains: “Despite improved care for newborn babies there has been no corresponding progress in reducing the rates of premature birth. Many babies still die and those who survive are at risk of lifelong health conditions.”
“The causes and potential risk factors are not well understood and diagnosis of preterm labour is difficult. Evidence suggests that women with no obvious risk factors, particularly first-time mothers, deliver as many as half of all premature babies.”
The report, part of the charity’s ongoing STAND UP for Tiny Lives Campaign, argues that a National Research Strategy focused on improving understanding of the causes of premature birth could help lead to the development of targeted measures to reduce infant mortality and improve child health.
Prof Michael Taggart said: “While high-quality research groups are active across the country much of their efforts are happening in relative isolation, impeding progress. We need to build on existing research and foster greater collaboration within the scientific and clinical community backed by government, the pharmaceutical industry and the charity sector.
Fiona Currie, whose daughter Lauren died as a result of infection following premature birth, said: “Premature birth can happen to any family. Until doctors have all the information they need to be able to deal with this problem families will continue to be torn apart. We need to know why premature birth happens.” - ends -
Notes to editor Both Professor Michael Taggart, Chair of Reproductive Sciences at Newcastle University and Fiona Currie are available for interview
2) For further information please contact the Action Medical Research press team on 01403 327 478 or via email patrick@action.org.uk
3) Copies of the report; “The Tiny Lives Charter - a cross-party call to tackle premature birth” are available at http://www.standupfortinylives.org/download/ - using the password standuptlc
4) The STAND UP for Tiny Lives Campaign is calling on the Department of Health (DH) and Department of Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) to commission an independent Premature Birth Inquiry to lead to the development of the UK’s first 10 year National Research Strategy for tackling premature birth.
5) http://www.standupfortinylives.orgwww.standupfortinylives.org/map/ shows the names of the MPs already backing the campaign.
6) Organisations backing the STAND UP for Tiny Lives Campaign:
The British Association of Perinatal Medicine — www.bapm.org European Parturition Group - http://www.bristol.ac.uk/clinicalsciencesouth/eptlg/ * NCT (formerly the National Childbirth Trust) — www.nct.org.uk/campaigns Neonatal Nurse Association — www.nna.org.uk Neonatal Society — www.neonatalsociety.org.uk TAMBA — www.tamba.org.uk Scottish Neonatal Nurses Group — www.snng.org.uk
7) Fast facts There are around 700,000 live births in the UK each year (1) An estimated 50,000 babies are born prematurely each year in the UK (1,2,a) Each year, almost 1500 babies die in the UK as a result of complications arising from premature birth (3-5, b-c) Each week, more than 25 babies die in the UK as a result of complications arising from premature birth (3-5, b-c) About 40% of the babies dying each year in the UK, die as a result of complications arising from premature birth (3-5, b-c) An estimated 70,000 babies in the UK each year require some sort of special care when they are born (1,6) The combined government spend on research into premature birth was £5 million for 2005/6 (7). This figure covers both the Department of Health and Medical Research Council. The spend for 2006/07 was £6.6 million from the Medical Research Council (8). References 1. Office for National Statistics. Health Statistics Quarterly 35 (Autumn 2007), Table 2.1 2. The Information Centre, Community Health Statistics. NHS Maternity Statistics, England: 2003-04, 2004-05, 2005-06 3. ONS: Health Statistics Quarterly 28 (Winter 2005), 32 (Winter 2006), 36 (Winter 2007) 4. General Register Office for Scotland, Vital Events Reference Tables 2006 5. Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency. Registrar General Annual Report 2006 6. Department of Health. Report of the Neonatal Intensive Care Services Review Group. April 2003. 7. Dawn Primarolo MP to Julie Kirkbride MP. Hansard. 8 October 2007. 8. Letter from Ann Keen MP to Simon Moore, Chief Executive, Action Medical Research — copy available. Received June 2008.
Footnotes a. Estimate assumes incidence of premature birth is the same for the UK overall as it is for England b. For England and Wales, deaths listed as due to “immaturity related conditions” c. For Scotland and Northern Ireland, deaths listed as due to “disorders related to length of gestation and fetal growth”
Notes to Editors
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Sun protection advice for your babies

Sun Protection for Babies
Babies are born with fine, delicate skin that gets thicker as they grow. This can make their skin more sensitive to sun damage and allergens, for example, in harsh soaps and detegents. An allergen is any substance that causes an allergic reaction, such as redness or a rash.
The British Skin Foundation advises taking the following steps to help protect your baby's skin:
Limit the amount of products you use on your baby's skin. You don't need to use a moisturiser unless your baby has very dry skin, in which case use an emollient cream during the day and at bedtime. Choose softer cotton clothes rather than wool, which can irritate.
Avoid products that strip the skin of its natural oils and cause dryness. These include soap, shower gels, detergents and anything that bubbles or lathers. Avoid products that contain alcohol or added fragrances.
Never let your baby's skin burn in the sun. There is a strong link between childhood sun damage and skin cancer in later life. Babies should not be in the sun at all, and toddlers should be covered up with loose-fitting clothing, a hat and sunscreen of factor 30 or more.
In wet nappies, bacteria break down the urine into ammonia, which irritates a baby's skin. Avoid nappy rash (sore, red skin) by changing the nappy as soon as it's wet, and cleanse with cotton wool and water. Use a simple nappy cream as a barrier.
FACT: Unprotected exposure to the sun in the first 15 years of life more than doubles the chances of getting skin cancer as an adult.FACT: Nearly 80% of lifetime sun exposure occurs before age 18.FACT: 90% of all skin cancers can be attributed to UV ray damage to skin cells.FACT: Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the USA today.FACT: UV rays cannot be felt and are present whether or not it is hot outside.FACT: It takes less than 11 minutes for the sun to irreparably damage your skin.FACT: The ear, nose, lip and eye areas are very susceptible to skin cancer.FACT: A sun tan is a sign that the skin is already damaged. A sun tan does not protect the skin from further sun damage.FACT: Sun tans and sun burns increase your risk of skin cancer.FACT: UV is transmitted every day, even in winter. It takes longer to burn during the winter months, but sun damage occurs even on cloudy days.FACT: Beware of UV rays reflected off of sand, water, snow, concrete or any light surface.FACT: Babies do not require direct exposure to the sun; they receive enough vitamin "D" to help aid the growth of bones and calcium from indirect sunlight.FACT: Babies are very sensitive to the sun's UV rays.*Information compiled from The Skin Cancer Foundation and The Cancer Council Australia: Fact Sheet: Sun Protection and Babies: updated March 2004, http://www.sunsmart.com.au/.SUN SAFETY TIPSIf you and your family enjoy the outdoors, the best protection from the sun's rays is to use all of the following: hats, sunglasses, sun block, sunshades, 50+ UPF rated clothing and 50+ UPF rated swimsuits like those brightly colored swimsuits offered by Banz.Babies should be completely shaded from the sun at all times during the first six months of life or until your pediatrician indicates it is safe for them to wear sun block. Using sunshades such as the Protect-a-Bub sunshade or the Protect-a-Bub Deluxe 3-in-1 allows baby to enjoy the great outdoors while being shielded from UV rays.Keep baby protected during peak UV times when the sun is at its highest and strongest: between 10am- 4pm.Start teaching your children sun safe habits from an early age. Always require them to wear hats, sunglasses and a 50+ UPF rated shirt when swimming. Apply sun block each morning. Sun blocks take up to 20 minutes to become active on the skin.The most important tip for parents is to LEAD BY EXAMPLE!Review all sun safe shade and apparel product information carefully. Beware of products that offer more than one shade factor - i.e., part of the product is 70% another part is 90% or the shade provides "up to" 90% protection. Some shades only provide protection in certain positions. Sun protection does not start until a shade factor of 94% is reached - which equates to UPF15. Any shades providing less than 94% may not block enough UV rays to protect your family.Sun block is an effective way to protect the skin from UV rays. Always use with care and as directed. Sun block needs to be re-applied at 2 hour intervals to continue protection. Use sun block along with other sun safety measures like hats, sun glasses, T-shirts, umbrellas, sunshades and natural occurring shade.There are two main types of sun block - those that are absorbed into the skin and those that sit on top of the skin. Absorbed sun block penetrates the skin, removing or lessoning the UV from the sun's rays, protecting the skin. Some blockers sit on top of the skin acting as reflectors while others absorb the UV as it hits the skin, stopping the rays from penetrating into the skin. The goal of sun block is to prevent UV rays from penetrating deep into the skin where cancer cells mutates and can later cause skin cancer.Blockers containing titanium or zinc are generally better for babies and children because fewer chemicals are absorbed by the body.