Child health (0-6)

You can help your child overcome anxiety by taking their fears seriously and encouraging them to talk about their feelings.

If your child's shyness is especially debilitating, you may like to consider professional help from a counsellor or psychologist.

Sibling rivalry is a common problem, particularly among children who are the same sex and close together in age.

Disciplining your child means teaching them responsible behaviour and self-control.

Dummy sucking should stop before school age to avoid teeth or mouth problems.

Dyslexia is a type of specific learning difficulty (SLD) in which the person has difficulties with language and words.

When a young child is having a tantrum, it is because the emotional (limbic system) part of the brain is dominating the child's behaviour.

Finger or thumb sucking should stop before school age to avoid mouth problems.

If you restrict yourself to a narrow range of foods, your child will notice and copy your wariness.

Some toddlers do most of their eating on the run, refusing to sit down at the table at all.

Taking care to restrain children correctly while travelling in a car is the best way to prevent injuries.

Being immunised from an early age helps protect your child against serious childhood infections.

Detailing on baby bathing from Royal Women's Hospital

Detail on baby skin care from Royal Women's Hospital

There is a range of subsidised and free health services, including services for mental health and dental health, available for children in Victoria.

Melissa shares her story of how her baby caught chickenpox at 5 weeks old.

This is your first key age and stage visit with a maternal and child health nurse – there are 10 visits in total from birth to when your child is three and a half years.

Breastmilk or commercial infant formula is necessary for all babies less than 12 months.

Breastfeeding positioning and attachment come naturally to some babies and mothers, but many need time and practice to get it right.

Be guided by your baby and let them set the pace when weaning and introducing solid foods.

It is up to you and your baby to decide when breastfeeding should stop.

Expressing breast milk by hand is a cheap and convenient method.

Breastmilk protects your baby from illness and infection, so it is the safest drink for your baby while travelling.

You can successfully combine breastfeeding with work if you have support from your employer, colleagues and family.

Breastfeeding women need to eat regularly and include a wide variety of healthy foods in their diet.

Symptoms of lactose intolerance include bloating, gas, abdominal pain and diarrhoea.

Miscarriage, stillbirth or neonatal death is a shattering event for those expecting a baby. Grief and anxiety about subsequent pregnancies are common in these circumstances but counselling can help.

You can reduce your baby's risk of sudden unexpected death by providing a safe sleeping environment and avoiding tobacco smoke.

Babies and toddlers can be as affected by trauma as any other family member.

Preschoolers may not have the words but will show their distress at traumatic events through changes in behaviour and functioning.

Tell your child the facts about a distressing or frightening experience using language they can understand.

Young babies still have a notion that the whole of life is happening inside themselves, and they are 'making it all happen'.

Fun activities, such as shaking or banging objects, helps a baby understand they have an effect on the world.

At nine months your baby is moving around by crawling or pulling along with their arms. Safety is very important now. Your baby is also 'talking' with recognisable sounds and may even say simple words.

Between the age of one and two, your toddler understands they are a completely separate person from you.

Parents can be tricked into thinking our toddlers are more grown up than they really are.

A child learning to walk receives important sensory information from the soles of their feet, and shoes can make walking more difficult.

Dyslexia is a type of specific learning difficulty (SLD) in which the person has difficulties with language and words.

Babies and young children do not usually grow in a perfectly smooth way, but instead grow in 'bursts'.

Teething symptoms are common in children and can be managed without medications.

When toilet training your toddler, praise every little success and remain calm about accidents.

Bronchiolitis is a common chest infection in babies under 6 months of age

Caring for a crying baby with colic can be stressful, so take some time out to calm down.

Cradle cap is not contagious and it is not caused by poor hygiene or bad parenting.

Croup is a viral infection of the throat and windpipe that causes noisy breathing, a hoarse voice and a harsh, barking cough.

Reflux is common in babies and causes no pain or problems with weight gain in most babies.

Most babies get nappy rash at some stage, no matter how well they are cared for.

Roseola is a mild viral infection with associated fever and rash that affects babies and young children.

Be guided by your baby and let them set the pace when weaning and introducing solid foods.

People who skip breakfast may lack sufficient vitamins and minerals including iron, calcium, zinc and vitamin B2.

First foods for babies can be prepared easily and cheaply at home without salt, seasonings and sweeteners.

If you eat and enjoy fruit and vegetables every day, your child may eventually follow your lead.

Children have a natural ability to sense when they are hungry and when they are full.

Offer children the same foods as the family, with a variety of textures and flavours for balanced nutrition.

About iron and iron deficiency - symptoms, stages, causes, diagnosis, prevention, treatment, who is at risk, daily intake, food sources and supplements.

If you restrict yourself to a narrow range of foods, your child will notice and copy your wariness.

Encourage children to drink and enjoy water. Sweet drinks such as juice, cordial and soft drinks may cause health problems for children if consumed in large amounts.

Some toddlers do most of their eating on the run, refusing to sit down at the table at all.

This is your first key age and stage visit with a maternal and child health nurse – there are 10 visits in total from birth to when your child is three and a half years.

This is your two week key age and stage visit with a maternal and child health nurse – there are 10 visits in total from birth to when your child is three and a half years.

This is your four week key age and stage visit with a maternal and child health nurse – there are 10 visits in total from birth to when your child is three and a half years.

This is your eight week key age and stage visit with a maternal and child health nurse – there are 10 visits in total from birth to when your child is three and a half years.

This is your four month key age and stage visit with a maternal and child health nurse – there are 10 visits in total from birth to when your child is three and a half years.

This is your sixth key age and stage visit with a maternal and child health nurse in your local area. Maternal and child health nurses work in partnership with families to care for babies and young children until they start school. The service is free for all Victorian families.

This is your seventh key age and stage visit with a maternal and child health nurse in your local area. Maternal and child health nurses work in partnership with families to care for babies and young children until they start school. The service is free for all Victorian families.

This is your eighth key age and stage visit with a maternal and child health nurse in your local area. Maternal and child health nurses work in partnership with families to care for babies and young children until they start school. The service is free for all Victorian families.

When your child turns two, it is time for their second from last key age and stage appointment with your maternal and child health nurse.

When your child turns three-and-a-half, it is time for their final key age and stage appointment with your maternal and child health nurse.

Detailing on baby bathing from Royal Women's Hospital

Detail on baby skin care from Royal Women's Hospital

If your baby is full-term and healthy, mild jaundice is nothing to worry about and will resolve by itself within a week or so.

Every newborn baby in Australia is offered a test for the rare medical conditions of phenylketonuria, hypothyroidism, cystic fibrosis and congenital adrenal hyperplasia.

PKU is an inherited disorder that prevents the normal breakdown of a protein found in some foods.

Sometimes premature labour can be delayed to increase a baby's chance of survival.

You can reduce your baby's risk of sudden unexpected death by providing a safe sleeping environment and avoiding tobacco smoke.

With low levels of vitamin K, some babies can have severe bleeding into the brain, causing significant brain damage.

Most injuries to babies do not occur by chance - many are predictable and largely preventable.

Some children are unsettled the first few nights in a 'big bed'. Try to be patient, loving and reassuring.

Toddlers are most at risk of drowning because they are mobile and curious but don't understand the danger of water.

CPR is a life-saving skill that everyone should learn from an accredited organisation.

Taking care to restrain children correctly while travelling in a car is the best way to prevent injuries.

In an emergency, it is recommended that all infants and their carers evacuate early or immediately when advised by emergency services.

Children exposed to domestic violence are more likely to experience emotional and behavioural problems.

Children who live on farms are at greater risk of injury and death than their parents or other farm workers.

Call the Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26 immediately if you suspect your child has been poisoned, given the wrong medicine or the wrong dose of medicine.

As they grow and develop, and with the help of adults, children become increasingly aware of how they can manage their own safety, and become safer road users.

You can reduce your baby's risk of sudden unexpected death by providing a safe sleeping environment and avoiding tobacco smoke.

Some children are unsettled the first few nights in a 'big bed'. Try to be patient, loving and reassuring.

A child needs a daytime nap until they are around 2 and a half to 3 years of age.

Your child may have only a few scary dreams a year, or be troubled by nightmares much more often.

You can reduce your baby's risk of sudden unexpected death by providing a safe sleeping environment and avoiding tobacco smoke.

Newborn sleep patterns and behaviours - Newborns generally sleep 12 to 16 hours in a 24-hour period and do not know the difference between day and night.

Baby sleep patterns and behaviours (3 to 6 months) – At this age, babies generally sleep 10 to 18 hours in a 24-hour period and need your help to settle and go to sleep.

Baby sleep patterns and behaviours (6 to 12 months) – From about the age of 6 months, your baby’s sleep patterns gradually become more developed.

Toddler sleep patterns and behaviours (1 to 2 years) – From approximately 12 months of age, toddlers tend to sleep better.

Typical sleep behaviour – (5) toddlers 2 to 3 years – Between the ages of 2 and 3 years, toddlers often sleep 12 to 13 hours in a 24-hour period.

Typical sleep behaviour – (6) preschoolers 3 to 5 years – Preschoolers aged between three and five years sleep between 10 to 13 hours in a 24-hour period.

Preventing sleep concerns (7) – babies 0 to 6 months – To strengthen the bond with your baby as they grow, you need to provide lots of love, attention and different experiences.

Preventing sleep concerns (8) – babies 6 to 12 months – To strengthen the bond with your baby as they grow, you need to provide lots of love, attention and different experiences.

Preventing sleep concerns (9) – toddlers 1 to 3 years – To strengthen the bond with your baby as they grow, you need to provide lots of love, attention and different experiences.

Solutions to sleep concerns (13) – preschoolers 3 to 5 years – It can be difficult to know whether your preschooler is experiencing a sleep or settling concern.

Preventing sleep concerns (10) – preschoolers 3 to 5 years – It is important that your preschooler feels secure and loved. You can do this by responding to them in a warm and positive way.

Solutions to sleep concerns (11) - babies 6-12 months - If your baby’s sleeping patterns are not affecting you or your family and you have strategies that work, then you do not have a sleep concern.

Solutions to sleep concerns (12) – toddlers 1 to 3 years – It can be difficult to know whether your toddler is experiencing a sleep or settling concern.

Self-care and support for parents and carers of young children (14) – The birth of a baby is a very exciting, happy and rewarding time your life.