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The Baby Tribe

The Baby Tribe

Afif EL-Khuffash & Anne Doherty 143 Episodes Oct 22, 2026

The Baby Tribe podcast provides parents and caregivers with expert advice on maternal health, pregnancy, postpartum care, and infant health. Hosted by neonatologist Afif El-Khuffash and obstetric anesthesiologist Anne Doherty, both working at the Rotunda Hospital in Dublin, the show covers topics like breastfeeding, formula feeding, introducing solids, and maternal recovery. The hosts bring over 40 years of combined experience and feature regular guests and real parent stories.

Episodes

The Baby Tribe: CMV and Autism: What Does the New Research Really Tell Us?
The Baby Tribe: CMV and Autism: What Does the New Research Really Tell Us? Oct 22, 2026 00:27:40 Afif and Anne examine a new Swedish study of almost 3.7 million people exploring associations between diagnosed congenital infections, autism and intellectual disability.They explain what TORCH infections are, why comparing siblings strengthens the research, and why an association still cannot establish the cause of an individual child’s diagnosis. They also discuss a crucial limitation: clinicall
Síle Seoige: Can You Be Grateful and Still Struggle?
Síle Seoige: Can You Be Grateful and Still Struggle? Oct 20, 2026 00:51:35 Can you feel incredibly lucky to be a mother and still admit that it’s hard?Afif travels to Galway for an honest, funny and moving conversation with Síle Seoige about motherhood at 38 and 42, miscarriage, and the anxiety of pregnancy after loss. Síle shares a moment in a swimming pool when grief caught her completely off guard, and explains why having another baby doesn’t erase what came before.Th
Baby Bonus: He Was Here: Dylan McKenna On Fatherhood After Baby Loss.
Baby Bonus: He Was Here: Dylan McKenna On Fatherhood After Baby Loss. Oct 15, 2026 00:41:00 Content note: This episode discusses stillbirth, bereavement and mental health. Please listen when it feels right for you. Irish support details are included below.“If I have a son, I’m a father.”Dylan McKenna’s son Hunter was stillborn on 15 October 2025. In this episode, released on Hunter’s first birthday and Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day, Dylan joins Afif and Anne to share his son’
Do Older Mothers Live Longer? The Science of Pregnancy and Ageing
Do Older Mothers Live Longer? The Science of Pregnancy and Ageing Oct 13, 2026 00:41:26 Can having a baby later in life really help you live longer? And what do scientists actually mean when they say pregnancy changes your biological age?This week on The Family Tribe, Afif and Anne investigate the research behind the headlines linking motherhood, ageing and longevity. They explore the remarkable demands pregnancy places on the body, changes in biological ageing markers during pregnan
Baby Bonus:  What Makes a Positive Birth Experience? Martha’s Story
Baby Bonus:  What Makes a Positive Birth Experience? Martha’s Story Oct 8, 2026 00:47:03 What happens when Anne’s lifelong best friend joins the podcast? Afif discovers just how much history he has missed, and a birth story somehow involves an offer to do the midwives’ hair. In this bonus episode, we welcome Martha Galvin, hairdresser, business owner, mother of three boys and honorary fifth Doherty sister. Martha shares the stories of her first son’s arrival and the later bi
Should We Ban Children from Social Media?
Should We Ban Children from Social Media? Oct 6, 2026 00:55:53 Would banning teenagers from social media make them safer? And what might we miss if we judge their online lives by screen time alone? This week on The Family Tribe, Afif and Anne explore teenagers, technology and the daily negotiations happening in family homes, including their own. Maggie explains why she felt she received access to social media too late, while Faisal’s experience show
Should We Worry About Microplastics in Baby Bottles?
Should We Worry About Microplastics in Baby Bottles? Oct 1, 2026 00:21:01 Headlines about babies swallowing millions of plastic particles can make an ordinary bottle feed feel like a parenting mistake. So what does the research actually tell us?In this episode of Baby Tribe Shorts, Afif and Anne explore microplastics in baby bottles, silicone teats and milk storage bags. They revisit the Trinity College Dublin study behind many of the headlines, discuss why measuring pa
Can GLP-1 Drugs Do More Than Help You Lose Weight?
Can GLP-1 Drugs Do More Than Help You Lose Weight? Sep 29, 2026 00:45:16 Weight-loss drugs are everywhere in the headlines. But what might they mean for our health beyond the number on the scales?This week, Professor Afif EL-Khuffash and Dr Anne Doherty explore GLP-1 medicines and the research into their effects on the heart, kidneys, liver and painful knees. They explain how these medicines influence blood sugar and appetite, unpack “food noise”, and discuss why manag
Baby Bonus: Are Birth Interventions Rising for the Right Reasons?
Baby Bonus: Are Birth Interventions Rising for the Right Reasons? Sep 24, 2026 00:19:40 In this Baby Tribe Short, Afif and Anne look at a recent New South Wales paper asking why birth interventions are rising. The study found that so-called cascade interventions, including induction or augmentation, epidural or spinal analgesia, and instrumental birth or intrapartum caesarean section, increased over time, even among women labelled low risk.But what does “low risk” really mean? And do
The Baby Grew Up: What Makes a Family in 2026?
The Baby Grew Up: What Makes a Family in 2026? Sep 22, 2026 00:42:40 Baby Tribe has grown up.In the first episode of The Family Tribe, Afif and Anne explain why they are widening the conversation from babies to the whole messy, funny and complicated world of family life.They reflect on 18 years of parenting, raising teenagers, marriage, multicultural family life, ageing parents, disappearing villages, financial pressure and bringing up children in a digital world t
Welcome To The Family Tribe
Welcome To The Family Tribe Sep 18, 2026 00:02:18 Parenting doesn’t come with a manual but The Family Tribe is here to be part of the village that helps you through it.Hosted by husband-and-wife medical experts Dr Afif El Khuffash and Dr Anne Doherty, The Family Tribe offers honest, evidence-based advice for parents and guardians of children from newborns right through to teenagers. Bringing together more than 40 years of combined clinical experi
BTS: Is Private Maternity Care Really Safer?
BTS: Is Private Maternity Care Really Safer? Jul 6, 2026 00:16:46 A large Australian study comparing public and private maternity care seemed to show better outcomes for mothers and babies in private obstetric-led care, including lower rates of stillbirth, NICU admission, severe perineal tears, and maternal haemorrhage. But the story is much more complicated than the headline suggests.In this episode of Baby Tribe Shorts, Afif and Anne unpack the study and ask w

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