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Common Family Health Challenges: Supporting Mothers in Managing Everyday Wellness
From colds to skin irritations, families face various everyday health challenges.
Well, practical strategies help mothers handle these situations calmly and in the right way.
Seasonal Illnesses Like Colds and Flu
Seasonal illnesses like colds and flu are often unavoidable, but they are manageable with simple measures.
Ensure children and other family members get plenty of rest and stay hydrated when symptoms like a runny nose or cough arise.
Warm fluids, such as soup or herbal teas, can soothe discomfort and support recovery.
A clean environment helps limit the spread of germs—frequent handwashing is key.
And keep tissues handy to manage sneezes and sniffles hygienically.
If fevers persist beyond 48 hours or breathing becomes laboured, consult your doctor for professional assessment without delay.
Allergies and Intolerances
Managing allergies or intolerances requires careful observation.
Food-related issues often cause tummy pain, rashes, or discomfort.
Keep a food diary to identify triggers.
And replace problematic foods with nutritious alternatives to avoid dietary gaps.
Environmental allergies, like pollen or dust mites, benefit from frequent cleaning and hypoallergenic products.
If symptoms escalate—such as breathing difficulties or severe swelling—contact a professional immediately for advice.
Schools should know about your child’s needs too.
Preparedness reduces anxiety and ensures your family navigates allergens with confidence in everyday life.
Head Lice
Head lice are common and manageable, but they can feel overwhelming at first.
Spot them early by checking for itching or visible nits near the scalp.
Use a fine-toothed comb regularly to catch infestations before they spread. And wash bedding and clothing in hot water, and vacuum areas where hair might fall.
For persistent cases, professional help makes a big difference. For instance, Lice Care Solutions professional lice treatment provides an all-natural in-home head lice removal service, making eradication stress-free for families.
Childhood Obesity
Encouraging a balanced lifestyle helps manage childhood obesity effectively.
Create routines with nutritious meals and snacks, offering fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins.
Involve children in food preparation to build healthy habits early on.
And limit sugary drinks and processed foods while focusing on portion control.
Physical activity matters just as much as diet. Plan fun activities like family walks or sports they enjoy.
If weight concerns affect their confidence or social life, consult a healthcare professional for tailored guidance and support.
Also, you should be aware that children born to mothers with severe obesity are more likely to be hospitalised with infections.
Digestive Issues
Digestive issues, like constipation, are common but manageable.
Encourage fibre-rich foods such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains to keep digestion regular.
Hydration also plays a crucial role—make water the go-to drink throughout the day.
Gentle physical activity supports healthy digestion too; even a walk after meals can help.
Avoid forcing food if children feel unwell or bloated.
If problems persist or worsen with symptoms like severe pain or vomiting, seek advice from your doctor to rule out underlying conditions.
Eczema and Skin Irritations
Eczema and skin irritations require consistent care to manage flare-ups.
Keep your child’s skin moisturised with fragrance-free, hypoallergenic creams or ointments.
Avoid soaps or detergents that contain harsh chemicals, as these can aggravate sensitive skin.
Dress them in soft, breathable fabrics like cotton to minimise irritation.
And watch for potential triggers such as certain foods, dust mites, or temperature changes.
If itching causes discomfort overnight or the condition worsens despite your efforts, consult a dermatologist for tailored advice and treatment options.
Headaches and Migraines
Headaches in children can stem from dehydration, eye strain, or even stress.
Ensure they drink enough water throughout the day and take breaks from screens to rest their eyes. And create a quiet, dark space where they can relax if a headache starts.
Watch for triggers like irregular sleep patterns or skipped meals.
Regular routines help minimise recurrence.
For severe or frequent migraines—especially if accompanied by nausea or vision issues—seek medical advice to rule out underlying causes and explore appropriate treatments.
Light exercise and less sitting may reduce pregnant women’s risk of serious blood pressure complications, according to a new study.
Researchers have proposed a daily activity and sleep guide that they say was linked to a nearly 30 per cent lower risk of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.
The suggested pattern includes fewer than eight hours of sedentary time, at least seven hours of light physical activity, around 22 minutes of more intense activity and nearly nine hours of sleep.
The University of Iowa-led study examined the daily behaviours of 470 pregnant women across all stages of pregnancy.
Participants wore monitors that measured physical activity over 24-hour periods and recorded how long they spent asleep.
Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy include chronic high blood pressure, gestational hypertension and pre-eclampsia.
Gestational hypertension is high blood pressure that develops during pregnancy, while pre-eclampsia is a potentially serious condition involving high blood pressure and signs that organs may be affected.
Sedentary behaviour means being mostly inactive, such as sitting or lying down.
Light physical activity can include casual walking, moving around the home or standing.
Moderate to vigorous activity includes movement such as brisk walking, where breathing and heart rate increase.
Kara Whitaker, associate professor in the department of health, sport, and human physiology at Iowa and corresponding author of the study, said: “We are identifying the optimal composition of movement behaviours across the day associated with the lowest risk of developing HDP and the most improved health outcomes.
“This blueprint holds for each and every trimester of pregnancy.”
Study participants were enrolled at sites in Iowa City, Pittsburgh and Morgantown, West Virginia.
The women wore activity and sleep monitors for at least one week during each trimester of pregnancy.
Four in five participants were non-Hispanic white and nearly a quarter lived in rural areas.
The data showed a steep rise in risk among pregnant women who were sedentary for more than 10 hours a day.
Women who increased light physical activity to at least four hours a day reduced their risk of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy to 15 per cent from 30 per cent.
Whitaker said: “Just moving around more seems to have significant health benefits.
“And I think it also may be a more feasible target for women who are pregnant who are not exercising regularly.”
The researchers said they were surprised that longer durations of moderate to vigorous physical activity did not appear to provide additional benefit.
Sleep beyond a certain duration also did not appear to bring major further benefits.
Whitaker said: “Through this study, we are providing evidence that reducing sedentary behaviour and engaging in light physical activity are important, and maybe more important, when it comes to pregnancy and health.”
The findings may be relevant beyond pregnancy because clinical research has shown that women who develop hypertensive disorders of pregnancy are more than twice as likely to develop heart disease later in life.
Cardiovascular disease includes conditions affecting the heart and blood vessels, such as heart disease and stroke.
Whitaker said: “We know that cardiovascular disease is the number one killer of women, and if we can intervene in pregnancy and prevent women from developing a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy, we are putting them on a better trajectory, away from cardiovascular disease and toward more optimal cardiovascular health.”
The study was published online on June 10.
A second study, published online on May 27, looked more closely at the ratio and type of sedentary behaviour and light physical activity linked to a lower risk of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.
Whitaker is a lead co-author on that study.
Co-authors in the June 10 study include Alex Crisp, Jaemyung Kim, Karina Smith, Donna Santillan, Mark Santillan and Bridget Zimmerman, from Iowa; Jacob Gallagher, from Iowa State University; Melissa Jones, from Oakland University in Michigan; Bethany Barone Gibbs, Katrina Wilhite, Alexis Thrower and Iqra Sheikh, from West Virginia University; and Sabera Rahman, Janet Catov, Christopher Kline and Maisa Feghali, from the University of Pittsburgh.
The National Institutes of Health, the University of Iowa Institute for Clinical and Translational Science, the University of Pittsburgh Clinical and Translational Science Institute and the West Virginia Clinical and Translational Science Institute funded the research.
We are excited to reveal the winners of the third annual Femtech World Awards.
The winners were announced at a virtual event this afternoon attended by shortlisted companies, along with sponsors and judges.
The event welcomed guests from the UK, Europe, Asia, Africa and North America.
Thank you to all 174 entries, as well as the sponsors for making the event possible.
See you in 2027!
Femtech World Awards 2026 Winners
Winner:
Shortlisted:
IVI RMA x Juno Genetics
Natural Cycles
Winner:
Highly commended:
U-Ploid
Shortlisted:
Hello Inside
Winner:
WISE HF, led by Prof. Mary Ryder
Highly commended:
Cardiac College for Women
Shortlisted:
Hyvelle Ferguson-Davis
CognitiveCare
Winner:
Highly commended:
Youterus
Shortlisted:
ŌURA
Winner:
Shortlisted:
LeanShield by ParrotPal Group
Perigen
Winner:
Shortlisted:
Body Moody
Looop
Winner:
Shortlisted:
Owning Your Menopause
Womeno
Winner:
Shortlisted:
The Blue Box
Celbrea
Winner:
Shortlisted:
HealCycle
Mor
Winner:
Shortlisted:
HRC Fertility
Mira
Pregnant women’s expectations about postpartum sleep may predict sleep quality after birth, outweighing prior sleep and psychiatric history, a study suggests.
The findings suggest attitudes and beliefs about sleep during pregnancy could be a modifiable risk factor for postpartum sleep concerns.
They also indicate that, among women expecting the poorest sleep, higher postpartum anxiety may further worsen sleep quality.
Sammy Dhaliwal, lead author is clinical health psychologist and research fellow in the department of obstetrics and gynaecology at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.
Dhaliwal said: “Most pregnant women in our sample anticipated poor postpartum sleep before it occurred, and it was striking that those expectations predicted worse sleep outcomes even after accounting for factors such as prior sleep disorders, psychiatric history, and number of previous births.
“This suggests that attitudes and beliefs about sleep during pregnancy may represent a modifiable target for early intervention before postpartum sleep problems emerge.”
Sleep disturbance affects an estimated 60 to 80 per cent of postpartum women and is linked to a higher risk of depression and anxiety.
Researchers said it is often regarded as an expected part of life after childbirth rather than a health issue that may be addressed earlier.
The study enrolled 432 pregnant women at about 24 weeks of gestation, meaning around 24 weeks into pregnancy.
Participants completed measures of their expectations about postpartum sleep, current sleep quality using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and mood using validated depression and anxiety scales.
Assessments were repeated at six, 12 and 24 weeks postpartum.
A subset of 49 women also wore wrist actigraphy devices at six to eight weeks postpartum.
Actigraphy uses a wearable device, similar to a watch, to estimate sleep and wake patterns based on movement.
The results showed that 70 per cent of pregnant women, or 301 of 432 participants, expected poor sleep in the postpartum period.
Researchers found that predicted sleep disruption during pregnancy was a significant predictor of postpartum sleep concerns.
Among first-time pregnant women without prior health concerns, those who expected greater sleep disturbance had significantly more disrupted sleep after birth, measured by both actigraphy and self-report.
Among women who expected the worst sleep quality, higher postpartum anxiety significantly worsened both measured sleep and self-reported sleep, independent of anxiety levels during pregnancy.
Dhaliwal said the findings point to two possible areas for intervention: addressing sleep-related beliefs during pregnancy and treating postpartum anxiety.
Dhaliwal said: “Postpartum sleep disruption is often treated only after problems develop, but our findings suggest there may be an opportunity to intervene earlier during pregnancy.
“Addressing sleep-related beliefs and postpartum anxiety during prenatal and postpartum care may help improve sleep and emotional well-being in new mothers.”
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