| PREGNANCY DOESN'T USUALLY WORSEN SCOLIOSIS
DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I am the mother of an only child. She is 31 and has been married for one year. My daughter is afraid to become pregnant because she believes she'll have difficulty carrying a child due to her spinal curvature. She's also afraid that carrying a baby will make her scoliosis worse. An orthopedic doctor followed her in her teens and didn't suggest treatment since her scoliosis was ''borderline.'' I know she wants to be a mom, and I want to be a grandmom. What do you say? -- A.A. ANSWER: Scoliosis is a curving of the spine to one side. The curve can be in the upper back, the lower back or in both upper and lower back. The degree of curvature correlates with the severity of symptoms and with the limits of physical activity. The degree is assessed through X-rays. Your daughter had mild scoliosis as a teenager.
The role of diet and lifestyle changes in the management of constipation
More than three million people in the UK suffer from constipation once a month or more (DFIB, 2004), and as many as one in five people experience the symptoms of constipation at some time in their lives (MeReC, 1999).
The new-born baby, the young child, the teenager, mothers and fathers, the elderly, the business executive, the civil servant, the postman, the farm labourer, the poor, the affluent. No-one is exempt from the risk of constipation and the stigma with which it is associated.
Constipation mostly affects children and older people, with more women than men presenting with symptoms. One in 200 women have severe, continuous constipation and it is most common before a period and in pregnancy (NHS Direct, 2006).
Many people accept the consequences of constipation, refusing to believe there is anything that can be done about it.
Baby on board: Stay fit during pregnancy
Exercise during pregnancy, once considered off limits, is now a valid choice. Mostly, it will appeal to women who relish the idea that they have a say in their physical destiny, pregnant or not. LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT Women who are already exercising regularly will be pleasantly surprised how much they can safely continue to do, and they will reap all the same rewards of pre-pregnancy fitness and then some. If you hated exercise prior to becoming pregnant, though, chances are good that having an extra body on board is not exactly going to warm you up to the process. Conversely, if you are a fitness junkie with a habit for going at it hard, you may hate the fact modification is warranted. MODIFICATIONS ARE A MUST Ligaments and joints become more lax and mobile during pregnancy due to hormonal changes, so aggressive stretching, high kicks and hot yoga should be avoided.
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