Small children in Shanghai are often ill - is it the air? The food? The poor quality heating? Or an inbalance in their bodies that only a holistic approach can fix? In this talk, Dr Doris Rathgeber from Body & Soul Medical Clinics looks at the Traditional Chinese Medicine approach to treating common children's illnesses.

Living as an expat in Shanghai usually involves long-distance flights as you go home to see family and friends. This means jet-lag and tears. How do you cope with these challenges? And what about trips in Asia? What vaccinations need to be up to date? And what medical supplies should you bring?

On November 28th Dr Tyrone Bristol joined Bumps & Babes to give advice.

This is the biggest worry shared by most parents in Shanghai and indeed China: what effect is pollution having on my child's health?  Dr Celese Beadreau from Shanghai United Family Hospital, and Louie Cheng from Pure Living China met with Bumps & Babes to discuss the lowdown on the different sources of pollutants here in Shanghai and what you can do about them to keep your child safe from harm.

Raising small children in Shanghai exposes them to a multitude of languages and cultures. How does this affect their language development? Or their sense of identity? Read what three experts had to say on the matter during a Bumps & Babes talk on May 2nd 2012.

Vaccinations are confusing here in China because every one you meet seems to be following a different schedule for their child; add to that the added vaccinations that apply specifically to China and it's a total minefield! Not to mention the new rules on importing vaccines into China... Dr Noor Seebregts from Shanghai United Family had the following advice to share

Travelling in China with small children and/or a bump can be a challenge. When people think of China they think Great Wall, Terracotta Army, pandas, perhaps a river cruise, Hainan (if living in Shanghai) and often their imagination stops there. Casper Tollerud, from Genuine China Tours, wants this to change. On January 4th, he joined Bumps & Babes Pudong to give us ideas about other, exciting, child-friendly destinations in China. Think Xizhou, Zhongwei, Songpan and many more, and you are off on the adventure of your life! Have fun exploring...

On November 16th Dr J. Celese Beaudreau MD from United Family Healthcare joined Bumps & Babes Pudong to talk about how pollution in Shanghai from air, lead and water could be affecting your child's health. She covered symptoms to look out for, tests, and at what point to seek medical assistance. In addition, Louie Cheng from PureLiving China was on hand to answer questions about sources of pollution and practical solutions to the unique challenges living in Shanghai with small children can present in terms of health.

Raising children in Shanghai, amongst other things, means that they will be exposed to many languages, and in most instances, that they will need to master at least two and even three or four. On November 23, speech therapist Elaine Robin from Olivia's Place, the Pediatric Therapy Clinic, joined Bumps & Babes to talk to us about multilinguism and how it can affect our children's development. Herein is the presentation she gave us.

Margaret Keefe, RD, joined this Bumps & Babes session to talk about the difference between organic and non-organic produce, what veggies & fruits contain the highest levels of pesticides, how to make sure what you are buying for your family is organic in China, and where you can buy trusted organic produce in Shanghai. And answered questions about meat, fish, diary and poultry.

Summers in Shanghai are particularly hot and humid. You may find yourself wondering if you can or should take your baby on your usual neighborhood strolls. Dr. Jue Min Huang from Shanghai United Hospital joined Bumps & Babes on July 27, 2011 to tell us about your baby in the summer heat. Herein is a summary of the key questions we asked her to answer.

As part of our Infant & Children First Aid & Home Safety Talk, on Wednesday June 15, 2011 Ellen Liu talked to us about the importance of having all your domestic workers (ayis, nannys and drivers) undergo a complete health screening BEFORE they start caring for our children. Enclosed is the complete presentation she gave us, which explains (1) why it is so important, (2) what tests you need to make sure the health screening includes and (2) how to do it in Shanghai (in particular if you don't speak Chinese).

On Wednesday May 25, 2011 Dr. Andrew Brown, Emergency Medicine Doctor at Shanghai United Hospital, joined Bumps & Babes Talk to share with us his knowledge about pediatric emergencies. His talk focused on fevers, burns, rabies and head injuries. Below please find a summary of his talk.

On Wednesday May 11, 2011 Dr. Greg Livingston joined Bumps & Babes Talks to discuss how Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) can help alleviate your kids' allergies, and in general, discuss what TCM has to say about kids' health.

If you are giving birth in Shanghai (or anywhere else in China, for that matter) you need to be well informed about your medical insurance plan. On January 26, Anna Bailey from the Abacare Group joined Bumps & Babes Talks to discuss some of the key issues to be aware of when evaluating pre- and post natal insurance plans.

On December 8, 2010 Julie Meyer, RD, founder of Eat Well Shanghai, joined Bumps & Babes Talks to discuss the health benefits of antioxidants. Julie told the group that antioxidants set up a shield to help protect our body’s cells from the damage caused by free radicals. Free radicals are molecules produced by environmental exposures like air pollution, tobacco smoke and radiation and cause damage to human cells, which is known as “oxidative stress”.