Delay in becoming a mum may be risky

September 17, 2009 By Leave a Comment

London, September 16 (ANI): Women who have their first baby at an advanced maternal age may be more at risk of complications, says a recent UK study.

The team at the University of Cambridge found women who started menstruation early, from the age of 12 onwards, were more likely to require medical assistance during childbirth such as forceps, or a Caesarean section.

The effect was taken care of if these women began a family at an early age.

But such was not the case for older mothers. Previous research also found that the risk of a medically-assisted delivery shot up with a woman’s age at the time of her first birth.

“The main significance of this study is not that menarche is usefully predictive of the risk of complications, but that the current finding sheds light on why advanced maternal age at the time of first birth might be associated with increased risks,” The BBC quoted Researcher Professor Gordon Smith as saying.

Professor Philip Steer, BJOG editor-in-chief, however, added larger investigation was required before reaching conclusions about the impact of early onset of menstruation in women.

He advised: “It is particularly important for them to ensure they lead healthy lifestyles and maintain a normal body weight, as a high BMI during pregnancy is itself associated with poor uterine contractions and an increased need for operative delivery.”

The University of Cambridge study has been published in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. (ANI)

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Healthy lifestyles on the decline in US

May 27, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Washington, May 27 (ANI): A new study conducted in the U.S. has found that only a small proportion of adults follow healthy lifestyle pattern, and in fact, the numbers are declining.

Researchers from the Department of Family Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston compared the results of two large-scale studies of the US population in 1988-1994 and in 2001-2006.

In the intervening 18 years, the percentage of adults aged 40-74 years with a body mass index greater than 30 has increased from 28 percent to 36 percent; physical activity 12 times a month or more has decreased from 53 percent to 43 percent; smoking rates have not changed; eating 5 or more fruits and vegetables a day has decreased from 42 percent to 26 percent; and moderate alcohol use has increased from 40 percent to 51 percent. The number of people adhering to all 5 healthy habits has decreased from 15 percent to 8 percent.

Since people with diagnosed health conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, or high cholesterol were part of the samples, the researchers sought to determine whether such individuals were adhering to the healthy habits to a greater or lesser degree than people without those conditions, and whether adherence had changed over time.

The study also concluded that people with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, high blood pressure or high cholesterol, or risk factors for those conditions, were no more likely to adhere to a healthy lifestyle pattern than people without such risk factors.

“The potential public health benefits from promoting a healthier lifestyle at all ages, and especially ages 40-74 years, are substantial. Regular physical activity and a prudent diet can reduce the risk of premature death and disability from a variety of conditions including coronary heart disease, and are strongly related to the incidence of obesity,” Dana E. King, MD, MS, said.

The study is published in the June 2009 issue of The American Journal of Medicine. (ANI)

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Preschoolers remain inactive even while playing outside

February 7, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Washington, Feb 7 (ANI): While there’s a rise in childhood obesity, a new study has found that preschoolers don’t indulge in much of activity, even when they’re playing outside.

The study, by an interdisciplinary team of researchers at the University of South Carolina (USC), Michigan State University, and East Carolina University, looked at 3-, 4-, and 5-year olds enrolled in 24 community-based preschool programs.

Led by Professor Russell R. Pate (at USC), the researchers used information from the Children’s Activity and Movement in Preschools Study (CHAMPS).

It was found that the preschoolers were inactive for much of their preschool day, with 89 percent of physical activity characterized as sedentary.

In fact, 56 percent of their activities were sedentary, even when they played outside, a time when children are expected to move around.
To top it all, teachers very rarely encouraged the children to be physically active.

However, when balls and other items were made available, especially outside, and when they had open spaces in which to play, the children were more likely to be active.

“The low levels of children’s activity and the lack of adult encouragement point to a need for teachers to organize, model, and encourage physical activity,” said William H. Brown, professor in the College of Education at USC and the study’s lead author.

He added: “Because children’s health and physical well-being are an important part of development, their physical activity needs to be increased in order to promote healthy lifestyles, particularly for preschoolers who are growing up in low-income families and who are at greater risk for poor health outcomes.”

The study is published in the latest issue of the journal Child Development. (ANI)

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