DADS GET DOWN, TOO Moms aren’t the only ones who get postpartum blues. New evidence shows
that almost as many dads experience depression during their child’s first year. A study in Pediatrics found that 14 percent
of mothers and 10 percent of fathers reported depression symptoms. The stress of adjusting to that tiny new family member seems to be the culprit, says lead researcher James Paulson, Ph.D., an assistant professor at Eastern Virginia Medical School.
-Health
BOOST BALANCE WHILE YOU WAIT To tone abs and improve balance—even while in line for that morning latte: Stand with feet about 12 inches apart and tighten abs. Shift weight slightly forward, backward, right and left several times, pausing in each direction.
-”Functional Fitness: The Ultimate Fitness Program
for Life on the Run” by Larkin Barnett
NATURAL MOUTHWASH Drinking a cup of tea a day
will keep your breath smelling fresh. The polyphenols in tea
prevent the growth of bacteria that cause bad breath.
-University of Illinois
College of Dentistry, Chicago
SIGHT-SAVING NEW TEST Soon, a simple blood check could determine
if you’re at high risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the most common cause of blindness. Ophthalmologists at the University of Utah recently tested 890 people with and without AMD and found that those carrying an abnormal copy of a gene called HTRA1 had two times the AMD risk of those with a normal version of the gene. People who have the marker will know to be vigilant for
warning signs: difficulty recognizing faces at a distance, straight lines that appear wavy or a blurred spot at your central vision. The test should be available by the end of this year.
-Prevention
FISH AIDS FETAL DEVELOPMENT Children of mothers who ate more fish and other seafood while pregnant are smarter and have better developmental skills than the offspring of women who ate less or none, said researchers from the U.S. National Institutes
of Health. Seafood is a key source of omega-3 fatty acids, which is important for fetal brain development.
-News Fax
GOOD FOR SPOT, NOT FOR YOU Head straight to the sink and wash your hands after tossing Spot a meat-based pet treat, because it could be carrying salmonella. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently issued a consumer alert after nine confirmed cases of salmonella poisoning from dehydrated-meat pet treats. CDC veterinarian Heather Bair-Brake says the tainted treats were made from beef and salmon. All treats should be handled carefully, she adds, and pregnant women, small children and the elderly shouldn’t touch them. Pets can get sick, too, but Bair-Brake says the threat isn’t large enough to deny Spot his guilty pleasures.
