News of Interest for Late-in-Life Moms November 17, 2008

News to know:

Nursing may help babies increase lung capacity
Breastfeeding appears to provide children with long-term respiratory benefits, according to findings published in the journal Thorax.
Researchers found that children who were breastfed for 4 months or longer had larger lung capacities than children who had been nursed for a shorter amount of time or not at all. Breastfed children were also able to expel air from their lungs more quickly.

Study: Cigarette smoking may worsen PMS
Smoking increases the risk of moderate to severe premenstrual syndrome (PMS), according to new research. Women 27 to 44 years old who smoke are twice as likely to develop PMS over the next two to four years, especially hormonally-related symptoms like backaches, bloating, breast tenderness, and acne.

U.S. gets "D" on premature birth report card
More than half a million U.S. babies -- one in every eight -- are born prematurely each year, a toll that's risen steadily for two decades.
A report by the March of Dimes said the odds of having a premature baby are lowest in Vermont and highest in Mississippi. The report urged states to address three factors affecting premature births: lack of insurance, smoking, and an increase of "late preemies"--babies born between 34 and 37 weeks.

MSNBC.com has an interactive state-by-state listing detailing obesity in the U.S.A. Go here to click on each state to see the percentage of obese and overweight adults in 2007, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.