One day they'll eat half a jar and the next one-and-a-half and you're supposed to throw them away once they've been opened so it's

One day they'll eat half a jar and the next one-and-a-half, and you're supposed to throw them away once they've been opened, so it's a terrible waste." Instead, she invested in a pur?machine for processing organic vegetables. But a report by Which? magazine last month revealed that, despite new labelling rules, many organic products for babies under a year old made by major manufacturers such as Cow & Gate and Heinz were low on some key ingredients. After all, no harmful chemicals, energy or transportation go into nourishing a baby this way. While Safia Minney breast-fed her children for up to two and a half years, don't worry if you don't have the stamina for that - the World Health Organisation recommends six months, which could still save you some £600 in formula milk and equipment.When it comes to weaning, most of the a large proportion of ready-made baby food in the supermarkets is now organic. "There are a growing number of people out there who are aware of organic cotton and want the best for their babies, so I'm not surprised that Topshop is providing the option," says Safia Minney, founder of People Tree and mother of two.While an organic cotton baby-gro is a great first step, there are a whole range of other options available to the aspiring green mum or dad.FOODIf a new mum is able to breast-feed then it's still the best option, not just for your baby but also for the environment. "I just became more aware, started reading labels, that kind of thing," she says.

"When it's just you, or you're in a couple, you may be more laid-back, but when you're suddenly in charge of this little life, things change." Barker took her new-found passion to the next level by setting up Green Baby, a chain of London shops and a website selling environmentally friendly baby products. But her initial experience is a common one for many new parents. In fact, the Co-op Bank's 2002 Ethical Purchasing Index reported that 70 per cent of parents became more interested in environmental issues following the birth of their baby. And if a high-street giant like Topshop is reacting to the trend, it must be serious. This month, it launches Mini Topshop, which includes organic Fairtrade cotton baby garments from labels such as People Tree, Hug and Gossypium. "For me, it was realising how many rubbish bags of disposable nappies I was filling," says Jill Barker "By the end of the week we had sacks of the things. I thought, this new little life is inflicting a lot of damage on the world." Canadian-born Barker is describing how the birth of her son Thomas seven years ago inspired her to become an eco-parent.

But the criteria for calling is if people find one dead swan, duck or goose, three dead birds together of the same species or five dead birds of different species.". They say it could trigger a flu pandemic in its new form, potentially putting millions of human lives at risk.A Defra spokesman said: "If in any doubt, people should call the hotline. Since February, 1,100 birds have been tested for avian flu in the UK.The bird was found in an advanced state of decay, with its head missing, making it hard to identify. Finding out which species the bird belongs to will help epidemiologists know if it was migratory and where it might have come from.Until that information is available, Defra is refusing to speculate about how the bird may have picked up the disease.Jack McConnell, Scotland's First Minister, warned against being complacent because other European countries affected by bird flu had seen more than one case.Mr McConnell said: "That doesn't mean there may not be another case in Scotland or somewhere else in the UK at some time over the next few weeks and months."So far, more than 100 people worldwide have died of the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of the disease, but all have been in close proximity to infected poultry.The H5N1 virus cannot pass easily from one person to another and therefore currently does not pose a large-scale threat to humans.But experts fear the virus could gain this ability if it mutates.

He said that in his assessment of the consequences of the H5N1 avian flu virus mutating to threaten humans, it would take just a single case to be confirmed in a teacher or pupil for all the schools in a county or borough to be closed.Another leaked government report included plans to call off-duty firefighters and retired lorry drivers into service to ensure food supplies were delivered.Documents reportedly outlined concerns about a lack of preparation among food firms, and a potential shortage of HGV drivers who were willing to go into infected areas.Experts at the Central Science Laboratory in York are continuing DNA tests on the dead swan, which was found washed up in the harbour of the coastal town, in an effort to determine the exact species it belongs to. We need to see more evidence of spread before we can say that it has arrived in the UK."Sir David emphasised that no more wild birds had tested positive for the deadly H5N1 strain since a case was found in a swan in Fife last week and that British poultry had also been unaffected by the virus.The Sunday Times yesterday reported details of a study by Sir Liam Donaldson, the chief medical officer, who advised the Government that 50,000 child deaths could be prevented by a widespread closure of schools. Professor Sir David King made the statement as an increasingly worried public reported thousands of sightings of dead birds over the weekend. Almost 3,500 people called the Department of Rural Affairs last Friday and Saturday and tensions among the public also increased after details of a leaked government contingency plan warned that a pandemic could kill 100,000 children in the UK.Sir David, speaking on ITV1's Jonathan Dimbleby programme, said that the Government was preparing for it as a "very low possibility".He added: "We have got a virus in the bird population that has gone on since 1996, and in Asia particularly there has been a lot of contact between human beings and the birds that have got that virus."The one swan doesn't mean it has arrived here. The chances of the avian flu virus mutating into a form that spreads between people is "very low", the Government's chief scientific adviser said yesterday. LESLIE PALMIER BATH The superior sex Sir: Proof that women are superior to men ("Life expectancy of women exceeds men's for the first time", 7 April) is provided by the fact that they are better drivers than men Ask any insurance broker. NORMAN T SHEPHERD BRISTOL Dylan needs to chill Sir: In "The 10 Commandments of Cool" (6 April), Dylan Jones seems to have forgotten the 11th commandment: "Thou shalt not try so hard." RICK MILES CARDIFF.