BELOW ZERO

Thyroid hormone deficiencies in early pregnancy can cause developmental problems affecting a child8217;s locomotion...

Hypothyroidism linked to motor problems in child

Thyroid hormone deficiencies in early pregnancy can cause developmental problems affecting a child8217;s locomotion body motion abilities. Studies conducted by the Karolinksa Institute in Sweden had evaluated the role of mother and child8217;s thyroid hormone in the child8217;s proper locomotor development. They found that hormone deficiencies during early pregnancy, when the mother is the only source of the hormone, produced locomotor disorders that persisted into adulthood and were not treatable.

ZERO TO 20

Childhood mental health may affect adult work life

Children8217;s mental well-being may affect the types of jobs they eventually get, and, thereby, their odds of work-related stress. In a study of more than 8,000 British adults followed since birth in 1958, researchers found that those who had shown 8220;internalising behaviours8221; as children 8212; such as excessive sadness, anxiety or withdrawal 8212; were more likely to end up with a stressful working life. This included jobs with high demands, little autonomy or little job security. These job stressors, in turn, were linked to a greater risk of depression and anxiety once the study participants reached middle-age, the researchers report in Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

20 to 40

Stand up and stretch to break up sedentary time

Office workers, couch potatoes, and other sedentary people can reduce their time spent sitting by getting up and using muscles more regularly throughout the day, say researchers from the University of Queensland, in Brisbane, Australia. Breaks from sedentary activity appear to complement the health benefits gleaned from other types of physical activity. A break could be as simple and light in intensity as standing and stretching, the researchers reported in Diabetes Care. The researchers found that the number of breaks from sedentary activity positively correlated with lower waist circumference, lower triglycerides, and lower 2-plasma glucose scores.

60 AND ABOVE

Yoga helps older women balance and stand taller

Elderly women showed measurable improvements in their walking speed and balance after a nine-week yoga programme 8212; and they gained a centimetre in height, on average, Philadelphia researchers report. The basic reason was that they were standing more upright, not so much crouching, reported researchers from Temple University told at the annual meeting of Gait and Clinical Movement Analysis Society. The researchers developed a programme specifically designed for older people. The poses were very basic 8212; how to stand upward, how to bend forward, sideways. As a result, the weight was more evenly distributed across the bottom of the feet.