BELOW ZERO

Women who go on their hands and knees while in labour may be able to reduce the pain of childbirth, researchers say...

Good posture, easy delivery

Women who go on their hands and knees while in labour may be able to reduce the pain of childbirth, researchers say. Midwives often recommend the position in the belief that it makes deliveries less painful and8212;by encouraging the baby to shift into the best position8212;faster. The researchers, in the current issue of The Cochrane Library, said there was good evidence for the first proposition, but not for the second. The best position for a baby during delivery is head down, with the back of the head facing forward. When the back of the head is toward the mother8217;s side or back, the delivery may be longer or more painful.

ZERO TO 20

Teens love family meals

Believe it or not, your teen really does want to have dinner with you. High school students often are busy with school, sports, friends and homework, and they often have cars and more freedom to come and go as they wish. But science suggests that parents of teens should keep trying to sit down for that family meal. When a Minnesota study called Project EAT asked teens about their eating habits, a surprising 79 per cent said they enjoyed sharing meals with their family. Numerous studies show that kids who sit down to family meals are better nourished and get better grades, and they are less likely to smoke, drink, use marijuana, get into fights or initiate sexual activity.

20 TO 40

Carbs, fats add years to a woman8217;s skin

Does diet age the skin? A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition involving 4,025 middle-aged and older women found wrinkling among 22 per cent women, dry skin in 29 per cent and thinning skin among 13 per cent. Women who reported eating the most foods high in vitamin C and linoleic acid soybean oil, leafy green vegetables, nuts had the healthiest-looking skin, with the least amount of wrinkling, dryness and thinning. Those who consumed the most carbohydrates and fats had more wrinkled skin.

40 TO 60

Job strain may spell trouble after heart attack

After a heart attack, does returning to a stressful job increase the odds of further heart problems? A study conducted among 972 men and 35-59-year-old women, who returned to work an average of four months after their first heart attack, found that during the next six years, 206 of them had a serious cardiovascular problem8212;another heart attack or incidents of unstable angina and coronary artery disease. The study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that those who indicated they were subject to chronic job strain were twice as likely as those in low-stress jobs to have another heart incident.

60 AND ABOVE

Surgery best option for longer life

Men8217;s treatment options for cancer that has not spread beyond the prostate include surgery to remove the gland, radiation therapy, hormone therapy and 8220;watchful waiting8221;. Is survival more likely with one choice than the others? A study by the Archives of Internal Medicine analysed data on 844 men with an average age of 71 who had been treated for localised prostate cancer. Those who had chosen surgery had a 10-year survival rate of 83 per cent, compared with 75 per cent for radiation, 72 per cent for the wait-and-see approach and 41 per cent for hormone therapy. Rates were better with surgery for the youngest men.