Why is my wee boy so violent?

Sep 28 2008 Dr Gareth

Q MY 20-month-old son has started to hit me. He gets really angry and red in the face and I am worried he is going to become more violent. What can I do?

A A CHILD of 20 months doesn't hit to hurt but to get attention.

Children of this age often get very frustrated and are experiencing a whole range of new emotions. Tell him firmly not to hit and take your attention away when he does it. This is the most effective punishment because it is the opposite of what he wants and he will quickly learn hitting doesn't work. The worst thing you can do for this behaviour is hit him back.

Q I WENT for a smear test and was told that I have abnormal cells on my cervix. I read about Jade Goody and I fear I am going to need a hysterectomy too. I don't have children yet and I am very worried.

A DON'T panic. A hysterectomy is used for advanced cervical cancer and rarely for abnormal cells on the cervix, which is what you have. This means that there may be an infection on the cervix or pre-cancerous changes. You will need a more detailed examination called a colposcopy.

The doctor will look at the cervix and take further samples then decide on treatment. The worst thing you can do is to ignore it.

Q I AM hitting the menopause and want to avoid taking HRT.

I've read about beneficial effects of natural oestrogens in food. Will they help with hot flushes?

A PHYTOESTROGENS are naturally occurring chemicals similar in structure to the hormones that are reduced at the menopause. They can be found in soya bean curd, chickpeas and seed oils. There is no hard evidence that shows how much of these natural oestrogens you need to take to avoid menopausal symptoms but studies have shown that the Japanese, who eat a lot of soya, report fewer symptoms than Western women. They are also thought to be protective against bone thinning and heart disease.

So start stocking up on Tofu.

Q MY 78-year-old mother had knee replacement surgery and the nurses had her up out of her bed almost immediately after the operation. Surely she should have been left to rest after such a big procedure.

A THESE days there is better pain relief for patients with joint replacements and some surgery is done under local and spinal anaesthetic. Rehabilitation has moved away from weeks of bed rest because it actually slows recovery and can lead to complications. Now many patients are encouraged to use the replacement joint as soon as possible and get them up and about as soon as their pain allows.