Oxfordshire health bosses have advised parents on the best way to answer inquisitive kids’ questions on sex.

County health chiefs have dished out tips on talking to different age groups when put on the spot.

Advice for inquisitive three- to four-year-olds includes telling toddlers about ‘special cuddles’ between mummies and daddies which end in a baby being ‘kept warm in mummy’s tummy’.

And tips for five-year-olds see parents advised to go into detail about condoms, same-sex relationships, and explain sexual intercourse.

Nine- to 13-year-olds should also be told about pregnancy choices, including abortion.

The national advice, entitled Talking Sense About Sex, is being pushed by NHS Oxfordshire, the county’s health authority.

It is being touted as part of the trust’s Facts of Life (talking to your children about puberty, relationships and sex) campaign, which aims to help parents and carers talk to their children “whether your child is four or 14”.

Donna Husband, health improvement principal at NHS Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Cluster, said they wanted to help parents prepare for difficult questions.

She said: “Talking openly with your children from a young age helps them to be more prepared for puberty and relationships, and more likely to be able to make confident, safe decisions as they get older.

“It is important your children know they can come to you if they are unsure or curious about something.”

And she added: “We are committed to raising awareness of sexual health to further reduce teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections.”

The advice includes a list of difficult questions posed by each age group. They include ‘Where do babies come from?’, ‘How do they get in?’ and ‘What’s oral sex?’ Yvonne Morris, children’s adviser for the Oxford Diocese and the mother of two young children, said it lacked spiritual guidance. She said: “The best response when talking to children and young people about sexual issues is to be honest and open with them.

“The NHS guidelines are functional, which is fine, but do leave out the spiritual side of sexual relationships, which for a Christian youth or children's worker, has to be part of the conversation.”

Helle Angeleri, headteacher at Hunsdon House Nursery School, in Headington, said it should be up to parents to answer questions.

She said: “Three is very young.

“I would make it much more simple, and just say sometimes when mummy and daddy love each other very much they have a baby.”

What do you think? Email: letters@ oxfordmail.co.uk