| Weight Worries Sap Motivation to Stay Smoke-Free After Pregnancy
PITTSBURGH, Sept. 15 -- Fear of weight gain may sabotage a pregnant woman's motivation not to resume smoking after her baby is born, researchers reported. Of women who quit smoking when pregnant, 60% to 70% are likely to light up six months after giving birth, with concern about weight gain and body shape a driving force, according to a report in the October issue of the Annals of Behavioral Medicine. Michele Levine, Ph.D., of the University of Pittsburgh, and colleagues, set out to examine why this happens and why the best intentions of women to remain smoke-free after pregnancy wane. They found out that 65% of the women reported being highly motivated not to relapse, and they studied these motivations, but not the actual behavior. To understand how factors such as depression, postpartum blues, and weight concerns might affect women's motivation to remain abstinent after delivery, the researchers interviewed 119 women who had smoked at least eight cigarettes a day for at least one month prior to quitting.
Ageing gracefully the healthy way
HEALTHY LIVING: Women face dozens of questions on their reproductive life, healthy ageing and endocrinology changes. Today we touch upon several health related problems that worry you. A detailed discussion on each problem will be brought to you from next week. Here's an opportunity to find everything you always wanted to know with the right medical advice. .
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.
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