Happy Monday ! This week, in addition to reading the news and doing your normal workweek, you get to start seriously preparing for the holidays. Enjoy the process !
Postpartum depression is in the news again, and this is a good thing. “ Shots” blog by NPR ( National Public Radio ) has run a story about a woman, Paige Bellenbaum, who went through this. She has since recovered and has become an activist on the subject, and helped to write a bill in New York “ aimed at educating more families on the symptoms of maternal depression.” The bill also promotes screening through the Pediatrician's office. Early treatment for postpartum depression is, of course, more effective.
Research findings presented at the NCI ( National Cancer Institute’s) annual conference underscored that increasing parity ( the more children you have ) reduces risk of ovarian cancer. The first child reduces the change of this cancer10% and each subsequent birth reduces it 8% more. While no one would decide the number of children they wanted based on this, it is interesting and may spur further research about how ovarian cancer comes into being the first place. Hopefully this will ultimately yield clues on how to prevent and treat this awful disease.
New research published in the Journal of Diabetes Care indicates that women with central obesity (higher levels of abdominal fat) are more likely to develop pregnancy associated diabetes here. Of course it is also known that women who get gestational ( pregnancy associated diabetes) are more likely to get Type 2 Diabetes later in life. Moral of the story: Get in good shape and at your correct weight before pregnancy and in-between each delivery.
Also hot on the trail of gestational diabetes (GDM), s study presented at the Conference of the Society for Endocrinology indicates that women who are sedentary in the first trimester are more likely to get GDM. They defined sedentary as sitting more than 6.5 hours per day. Has anyone ever tried a standing desk ? Personally I think the best thing at work is to alternate siting and walking about at frequent intervals. Also naps, mid afternoon. Wouldn’t that be cool ?
The CDC ( Center for Disease Control) reports that half of pregnant women are gaining too much weight in their pregnancy. IOM ( Institute of Medicine ) recommendations indicate women with a normal BMI ( body mass index) gain about 18.5 an 24.9pounds. Smaller women should gain more and larger women should gain less.
Wow this week's news sure had some common themes.
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