Tag Archives: younger women

Study links autism to older dads—for once, women are off the hook!

Women are constantly being reminded that their biological clocks are ticking.

Aunts, moms, and friends are known for shouting out irritating lines like, “Do it while you can—before you go gray!” and “Isn’t it time you start thinking about babies?”

But the pressure to get pregnant young doesn’t only come from aunts who want a cuddly baby to hold. Researchers have found again and again that younger women have fewer complications during pregnancy and healthier babies.

After age 35, things all start to go downhill. A woman’s fertility plummets, her eggs dry up, and her risk of preterm labor, miscarriage, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, and hypertension goes up with every year that passes. What’s more, after 35 the risk of having a child with Down syndrome increases. all of these increased risks send women into a tailspin to figure out how to get pregnant before the time bomb goes off at age 40.

The age of the mother has long been considered the most important factor in determining the odds of a child having developmental problems, according to The NY Times—so much that any women who gets pregnant after age 35 often feels tremendous amounts of guilt and worry. and women often find themselves scheduling their lives around getting pregnant before 40.

But the tables are suddenly turning after a study found that children of older dads are at an increased risk for autism and schizophrenia. and the real kicker here is that children of older moms are not at an increased risk.

The Times reports:

The risk of chromosomal abnormalities, like Down syndrome, increases for older mothers, but when it comes to some complex developmental and psychiatric problems, the lion’s share of the genetic risk originates in the sperm, not the egg, the study found.

The study published in Nature concluded that older men pass more gene mutations down to their children than a younger father because the rate of mutations increases with age. What’s more, mutations occur more frequently in men than women because sperm have to divide multiple more times than eggs.

This is only one study and further research needs to be done, but reactions to the findings have been strong and abundant. the New York Times article attracted over 500 comments, and ne reader wrote in, “I don’t think I have seen an article spur so many comments as this one.”

Why all the passionate interest in the study? Many people wrote in to criticize the study and point out that the study sample of 98 families was too small, and the anti-vaccine groups also stepped in to make their case that vaccines are the “real” culprit.

Interestingly, several older soon-to-be dads wrote in to share their concern about the fate of their future child. one commented: “I’m about to have panic attack.” (The odds of an older man fathering an autistic child are still low–although the study authors do suggest that younger men freeze their sperm.)

But the most surprising emotion came from women who guiltily expressed relief that for once they weren’t the ones “responsible” for their children’s problems.

Farnaz of Orange County, Calif., wrote in:

For once the finger is pointed at ‘fathers’ vs. ‘mothers’. I hate to admit that this is refreshing, but it is!

When this study hit online news sites and started circulating around the Internet universe it was as if women were breathing a huge sigh of relief. one mom friend of mine sent out the article and included a simple message:

Letting mom’s off the hook for something!

Of course, this study isn’t about moms and their twisted relationship with guilt or about pointing fingers at dads. It’s about the hundreds of thousands of children who are affected by autism and schizophrenia and researchers’ tireless efforts to figure out what’s at the root of these developmental problems. that said, the reactions to the study results are fascinating and can’t go unnoticed and they do say something about our society: Women are tired of always being the ones at fault.

What’s more, there’s something deeply satisfying about imagining a man looking at his calendar and realizing that he needs to put off climbing Mount Kilimanjaro and starting his own tech company so he can have a baby.

Study links autism to older dads—for once, women are off the hook!

Cosmetic Surgery Side Effects You Need to Know About

A few years ago, most of the people that were having cosmetic surgery procedures were older women who wanted to look younger. as time progressed, more and more younger women are now having cosmetic surgery done in their 20s and 30s. What many people do not understand is there are emotional and physical side effects that may go along with plastic surgery procedures.

One unintended side effect of cosmetic surgery is that it sometimes creates new problem areas on the body. There have been studies showing that a small percentage of that women who have gone through liposuction end up destroying the fat cells from their thighs and abdomen. So if they ever put the weight back on, the weight will be distributed unevenly. There is the small risk of having one feature fixed may destroy other features in the process.

People who are going to have cosmetic surgery done in order to look better on the outside, are not prepared for the mental toll that it may take on them. Emotional aspects such as insomnia, fatigue and pain from the procedure may lead some people down the road of depression. For example, after having a facelift, a person’s face looks like they were beat up for a few days after the procedure. while this is normal, there are people who are disappointed with these results and end up in a state of depression.

It goes without saying that the most damaging danger of this type of procedure is the way that other people react. Unfortunately, you have no control over what other people say or think. You may be a young mom in her late 20s who has decided to get a breast enlargement. You love the results but the moms in your playgroup disapprove of what you did to your body. now you may feel a bit uncomfortable about your new body in front of your peers.

During the hours following the procedure, you do have a small risk for infection. this is due to the fact that the wounds are still open enough for bacteria to get inside your bloodstream and spread throughout your body. Signs of a serious infection include a smelly odor near the injection site, fever, swelling around the infected site and a discharge coming from the infection.

Bleeding is not uncommon after a procedure is done by a plastic surgeon, but the bleeding may sometimes get a little heavy. Blood clots can occur as a result of a hematoma. Hematoma occurs when the blood accumulates underneath the skin. this condition usually goes away on its own, but if it does not, the blood will continue to accumulate until it eventually stops the flow of oxygen in the blood. this is a serious issue and may lead to swelling, numbness of the skin as well as death.

It is important to know all the pros and cons that are associated with any procedure that you are considering. Be sure to consult with your doctor so you know about all your options.

Cosmetic Surgery Side Effects You Need to Know About

my quasi-midlife crisis

It even has a cute name. Because being thirty-four and a half is waaaaayyy too young to be tripping down that number line.  So I’ve dubbed it my quasi-midlife crisis, and so it shall be.

I’m kind of blaming my husband for this panic attack.

When we met, I was adorable and shiny and all of twenty-two. in other words, a baby.  but as usual, I thought I knew it all. who I was, what I wanted, where I was going and how I was going to get there.

D was thirty-four and three-fourths. and he was enamored with me. Well, he was quasi-enamored with me. it took a Friends themed time-out and a return to an old flame for him to really realize how fantastic I was, but that’s a boy for you. what mattered in the end was that I WON!  and once this silly boy returned to his senses, and to me, he could not stop waxing poetic about the woman I would be when I was thirty-five. Because how much more fantastic could I really get?

Personally, I thought it was kind of weird. Older men were always after younger women. why was he so intent on hitting the fast forward button?

I am more than a decade younger than him. when he was graduating high-school, I was graduating kindergarten. Literally. The first time he met my Mom, he walked up our Brady Bunch stairs, and came face to face with my kindergarten self, circa 1983. He has a picture from that same year, but in his hands was a real diploma; not one made of tissue paper and tied with a ribbon. and on his head was a real cap with a real tassel, and he wasn’t singing, “The world is a rainbow”.  He was in a band at an alternative school with smoke breaks and sit-in-a-circle-let’s-talk-about-our-feelings sessions. I thought it was hysterical at the moment, but now that I’m practically in his shoes, I can’t imagine why he didn’t turn away and run out that door, as fast as his grown-up feet could carry him.

Thirty-five sounded light years away. I imagined that we’d have adorable, well behaved children. The house with the picket fence. I’d be fabulously successful (at something) and he’d be profoundly successful in the world of plastic surgery.  We’d have a fat bank account and would be the people you’d really, really want to hate…but couldn’t.

I’ve never worried about my age. ever. I’ve been grey since my twenties and too busy fighting acne to ever worry about wrinkles. Turning thirty didn’t cause tears, and I can say with confidence that hitting forty probably won’t either.

But this thirty-five thing? It’s been festering for years, without my even realizing it. It’s practically around the corner. and I’m not at all where I thought I’d be. For one, I’m working at the SAME job that I had before we were married. Not only is it the same job, but I’ve actually gone backwards. I used to be a Manager; now I’m an Admin superstar. We’re renting a house, don’t have a fat (or even an anorexic) bank account, and people don’t waste a second thinking about hating us.  I have beautiful babehs, but they drive me stark-raving-mad, and we have another one who isn’t even talking to us. How’s that for the amazing woman of (almost) thirty-five?

I don’t know what triggered this realization; maybe it’s the sudden slew of birthdays that have descended upon my Leo dominated household. Maybe it’s because I had my first not so fabulous week at my new-old job. Whatever it is, it sucks. I am not fun to be around, and I’m trying so hard to stuff these unpleasant feelings down that I’m plagued with nightmares every night. Nightmares that I’ve misplaced my children, horrible episodes where I’m being fired from a job that we’d starve without…horrific dreams that I can’t even recall upon waking, but leave me in that terrible bad-dream-induced- funk for the rest of the day.

In true Michelle style, I’ve descended on my pity party with Pollyanna fervor. I’m trying with everything I have to channel these feelings into something productive. I’ve applied back to school and have studied the qualifications of what I want to be when I grow up. I’m having deep conversations with people who know me better than I’ll ever know myself. I’m ordering “how to” books with the intention of actually reading them. and I’m forcing myself to write, even if I don’t know what to say. I’m determined to make it through this mess in time for my actual birthday, so I can get over myself and actually enjoy this benchmark that my poor husband created for me, all those years ago.

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my quasi-midlife crisis

Life Span of a Cougar

Cougars are at a higher risk of dying young. If you don’t know already, cougars are older women who go for younger men. It’s not a new trend, but studies are showing that these ladies are more likely to die young than their counterparts of the same age.

In general, studies by scientists have indicated that people who get married enjoy the benefit of a longer life expectancy. But that’s just simply not true for older women who marry younger men. the same is true for women who marry older men, by the way.

It’s odd that the reverse seems to be true for men who marry younger women. overall, the indications are that mortality goes up by 20 percent for women who marry a guy who is between seven and nine years her junior. meanwhile, men get a bump in life expectancy.

The difference is dramatic as compared to men with the same age difference. They experience an 11 percent increase in life expectancy as a result of their marriage.

Two million Danish couples were a part of the study that showed the age gap between women and their husbands is indicative of the shortened life expectancy of the women.

Evidence now shows that the women aren’t simply just healthier and choosing younger men to spend their time with. They are not supported by the evidence which indicates the reverse is in fact true.

The reasoning is that women who marry younger are actually more stressed than those who marry in their age range. Also, women tend to maintain outside relationships with friends and family and so therefore actually experience less of a benefit from the marriage itself on mortality rates.

Regardless, women’s life expectancy still tends to remain longer than men. Also, whoever is married tends to live longer than those who are not married. the old line is true about all of that.

You can bet these studies will be revisited time and again by those who choose to study things.

Life Span of a Cougar

Labiaplasty Increasingly Popular Says Orlando Plastic Surgeon

ORLANDO, FL, Jun 27, 2012 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) –While less than 2,200 labiaplasty procedures were performed in 2011according to the latest study from the American Society for AestheticPlastic Surgery (ASAPS), board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. JamesMatas says the procedure is gaining popularity at his Orlandopractice, the Advanced Centre for Plastic Surgery. He says femalepatients are increasingly concerned with their appearance as a whole,and consider genital rejuvenation as a way to improve self-confidenceand address a number of issues related to the extension or asymmetryof the labia minora or labia majora.

two distinct groups of women seek consultation for labiaplasty at hisOrlando plastic surgery practice, according to Dr. Matas. First, hesays younger women with congenital asymmetry come to his office toimprove the cosmetic appearance of the labia. these women oftenundergo either a one-sided labiaplasty, or a bilateral labiaplastywith asymmetric tissue removal for an overall aesthetic improvement.

the second group Dr. Matas sees in his practice are women looking toimprove the aesthetic quality of the labia following pregnancy orsignificant weight loss, or changes that have occurred due to thenatural aging process. the Orlando plastic surgeon says the goals ofthis group of women are closely aligned with patients seekingprocedures such as breast enhancement, as they want to feel bothcomfortable and confident with their bodies. Dr. Matas says the labiamajora can be reduced to improve the wrinkling and skin redundancythat is common for this group of women. He adds that injectabletreatments are also an option that can volumize the labia majora, butsays this is not a permanent solution.

Regardless of the motivation, Dr. Matas stresses the importance ofconsulting with a board-certified plastic surgeon when consideringfemale genital rejuvenation. while scars can be hidden in the labiaminora, he says they tend to be more visible in the labia majora,therefore requiring specific placement of the incisions. Properclosure of the incisions with absorbable sutures is also extremelyimportant according to Dr. Matas, as well as an injection of along-acting anesthetic that can improve post-operative discomfort.Following a labiaplasty, Dr. Matas says patients will require four tofive days of bed rest and should avoid excessive sitting for twoweeks. He adds that sexual intercourse, exercise, or other activitieswith direct perineal pressure should be delayed for six weeks. Whencomplete, Dr. Matas says the positive impact labiaplasty has had forhis patients is evident: “Despite the growing popularity of thisprocedure, the opinion of many gynecologists is that the value ofthis procedure is unproven. although a delicate issue to address, thecases that I have performed made a huge difference in the area ofself-esteem with the resulting aesthetic improvement of the femalegenitalia.”

about James Matas, MD

after earning his medical degree at the University of Miami, Dr.James Matas completed an internship and general surgery residency atthe University of Cincinnati. He then completed a plastic surgeryresidency at Indiana University Medical Center, followed by clinicalfellowships in hand surgery and plastic surgery. Dr. Matas a memberof the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), theAmerican Society of Plastic Surgeons, the Florida Society of PlasticSurgeons, and the Orange County Medical Society.

Advanced Centre for Plastic Surgery is located at 7300 SandlakeCommons Blvd. Medplex Building A, Suite 100, Orlando, FL 32819, andcan be reached at (407) 792-0429. Dr. Matas and his team can also befound online at yournewlook.com and their Orlando Plastic SurgeryFacebook page.

Contact: Rosemont Media Aaron Hurst Email Contact (858) 200-0044 www.rosemontmedia.com

SOURCE: the Advanced Centre for Plastic Surgery

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Labiaplasty Increasingly Popular Says Orlando Plastic Surgeon