Breastfeeding protects women from metabolic syndrome, diabetes, heart disease

Breastfeeding a child may protect women from metabolic syndrome, a condition linked to diabetes and heart disease in women – Breastfeeding a child may lower a woman’s risk of developing Metabolic Syndrome, a condition linked to heart disease and diabetes in women, according to a Kaiser Permanente study.

Cervical cancer screening should be less frequent

First Cervical Cancer Screening Delayed Until Age 21 — Less Frequent Pap Tests Recommended. – Women should have their first cervical cancer screening at age 21 and can be rescreened less frequently than previously recommended, reported by US researchers at ACOG.

Baby bathwater contains fragrance allergens

A team of scientists from the USC has developed a method to detect and quantify the 15 most common fragrance allergens included in soap, gel, cologne and other personal hygiene. – A group of chemists from the University of Santiago de Compostela (USC) has developed a method to quantify the fragrance allergens found in baby bathwater.

Breastfeeding reduces multiple sclerosis relapse in women

Breastfeeding associated with a reduced risk of relapse in women with multiple sclerosis – Women with multiple sclerosis who breastfeed exclusively for at least two months appear less likely to experience a relapse within a year after their baby’s birth, according to a report that will appear in the August print issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

Pregnant should gain a healthy weight before and during pregnancy

Report updates guidelines on how much weight women should gain during pregnancy – Calls on health care providers to help women achieve a healthy weight before and during pregnancy. – A growing amount of scientific evidence indicates that how much weight women gain during pregnancy and their starting weight at conception can affect their health and that of their babies, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council.

Oldest evidence of leprosy found in India

The Indian skeleton represents both the earliest archaeological evidence for human infection with Mycobacterium leprae in the world and the first evidence for the disease in prehistoric India. – A biological anthropologist from Appalachian State University working with an undergraduate student from Appalachian, an evolutionary biologist from UNC Greensboro, and a team of archaeologists from Deccan College (Pune, India) recently reported analysis of a 4000-year-old skeleton from India bearing evidence of leprosy.

Taking folic acid before pregnancy reduces preterm birth risk

Taking folic acid for a year before pregnancy may reduce risk of preterm birth. Findings reinforce March of Dimes message: Start taking a vitamin with folic acid before pregnancy. – Women who take folic acid supplements for at least one year before they become pregnant may cut their risk of having a premature baby by half, according to research published this week in the online journal, PLoS Medicine.

Women live longer with disabilities due to obesity and arthritis

Women Live Longer, Not Better, Largely Because of Obesity and Arthritis – Obesity and arthritis that take root during early and middle age significantly contribute to women’s decreased quality of life during their senior years, according to researchers at Duke University Medical Center.