researchers

To reach their findings, researchers from Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) looked at data from India’s 2005-06 National Family Health Survey, in which more than 50,000 Indian children under age five were included.

After analyzing the data, the HSPH research team, headed by S.V. Subramanian of the HSPH Department of Society, Human Development and Health, found a clear link between the mothers’ height and a number of indicators of her children's health, including risk of death, risk of being underweight, and anemia.

This new study is expected to help pediatricians better understand the health risks and outcome of premature babies.

Researchers conducted the study by analyzing the information collected by Israel Neonatal Network comprising 8,858 very low birth weight infants (1 to 3 pounds) born prematurely at 24 to 34 weeks' gestation born between 1995 and 2003. The data included premature newborn singletons, same-sex and mixed-sex twins.

FSH or follicle stimulating hormone is a female reproductive hormone which stimulates the growth of immature ovarian follicles in ovary.

A high level of this hormone is a sign of a diminishing ovarian reserve, which is linked to both decreased egg quality and the number of eggs available for fertilization.

Study details and findings
For the purpose of study, researchers from Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, and Yale University tested 560 women, with an average age of 35, seeking fertility treatment.

It was also found that women faced pressure from their husbands and mothers to fit the slim ideal.

Hype created by ‘yummy mummies’
New mothers are particularly influenced by the celeb mums like Angelina Jolie and Jessica Alba who are often tagged as yummy mummies. The websites keep informing about famous pregnancies and celebrities’ babies, carrying celebrities’ post-baby weight-loss pics.

Professor Murray Straus, lead author of the study, declared, "All parents want smart children. This research shows that avoiding spanking and correcting misbehavior in other ways can help that happen. The results of this research have major implications for the well being of children across the globe."

Baby blues are considered a normal part of early motherhood and normally go away within 10 days after childbirth.

Occasional mood swings are okay but even after 15 days if your mood doesn't lift, you may be suffering from postpartum depression (PPD). Postpartum Depression is an illness just like cardiovascular disease, which is triggered when neurotransmitters –- chemicals in brain -- respond abnormally to hormonal fluctuations and can happen anytime within the first year after childbirth.

How to tackle Baby Blues?

Here are ways to cope with baby blues:

"Parents are a little behind the 8 ball. They underestimate their children's sexual knowledge and interest and behaviors," said Dr. Lawrence Friedman, director of adolescent medicine at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.

Study details
In a study on parents-child talks about sex and sexuality, researchers from the University of California surveyed 141 middle-class and upper middle-class parents and their children, aged 13 to 17.

Hearing scientist, Dr. Daniel Polley from the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, United States, the senior study author, said, “An analogous problem may exist in the realm of hearing, in that children commonly experience a buildup of viscous fluid in the middle ear cavity, called otitis media with effusion, which can degrade the quality of acoustic signals reaching the brain and has been associated with long-lasting loss of auditory perceptual acuity."

Lead researcher, Wee-Shian Chan, MD, Women’s College Hospital said, “Anatomic distribution of deep vein thrombosis in pregnant women, and perhaps the pathophysiology of the condition, may indeed differ from that reported in the general population.”

Six studies reviewed
The research team at Women’s College Hospital evaluated 1,098 papers and eventually reviewed six studies with 124 pregnant women diagnosed with DVT.