News of Interest for Late-in-Life Moms August 15, 2008

News to know:

Too little tummy time may delay infants
Infants who spend too much time on their backs have an increased risk of developing a misshapen head along with certain developmental delays, according to the the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA).

Darra Torres inspires older women to get fit
Darra Torres, 41, became the oldest Olympic swimming medalist when she anchored the U.S. women's 4x100-meter freestyle relay to a silver medal finish.
Eight years after retiring and two years after giving birth, Torres is the first U.S. swimmer to compete at five Olympic Games and oldest woman ever to make the U.S. Olympic swim team.
Her Olympic comeback and "age is a number" mantra is inspiring older women to get fit.

Mommy-Come-Lately delivers baby on front lawn
Jessica Higgins, 36, was caught by surprise as she drove home from the mall when her daughter decided to be born six weeks early. By the time police arrived in response to her 911 call, Higgins was standing in her driveway holding her newborn, with the placenta still attached. Her 2-year-old son slept in his car seat.

Baby boost: For some female athletes, pregnancy and childbirth may improve their performance
Some doctors now speculate that pregnancy may be a performance enhancer, according to an article in Sports Illustrated.
There is evidence that pregnancy can help an athlete. One change that occurs in a pregnant woman's body is an increase in blood volume. Once the baby is born, the additional red blood cells that remain in the mother's system carry extra oxygen to the muscles.