You might think strapping a tight seat belt over a growing pregnant belly can harm an unborn baby. But not buckling up is what harms fetuses, says a newly-released University of Michigan study concluding that pregnant women who wear seat belts significantly reduce the risk that their babies will die or be seriously hurt in a vehicle crash.

Study findings, published on Wednesday, reveal that the lives of 200 of the roughly 370 fetuses killed each year in U.S. vehicle crashes would be spared if all pregnant women wore seat belts.

"Seat belts absolutely protect the fetus -- and not wearing a belt is a big problem," says study lead Dr. Mark Pearlman. "Every single time they get in a motor vehicle, pregnant women should wear their seat belts without question -- every single time."

It's simple: Seat belts protect moms. And they protect babies, says Pearlman who offers these tips for proper pregnant buckling.

• The lap strap should be placed under the belly as much as possible, across the hips.
  
  

• The shoulder strap should be placed between the breasts, to the side of the belly.
  
  

• Seat belt straps should not go directly across the stomach but should be below the belly button as low they can comfortably go.
  
  

• The seat belt should be snug, not loose.
  
  

Pearlman's study also showed no evidence that air bags are harmful to fetuses. He therefore does not recommend disabling them.

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Join me as I search my soul for direction regarding my latest pursuit: A tummy tuck. Will I go through with it? Will I "Tuck It In?" Keep reading. Keep coming back. And you'll find out.

March 14, 2008

When it comes down to it, I think I can live with a variety of not-so-great tummy tuck outcomes. Pain: It's temporary. I can handle it. Swelling: Also temporary. I can wait it out. A big scar: If it makes my loose skin go way, I'll take it. Fever: Doable. I've had many, have even been hospitalized on two occasions because of sky-high temps. Infection: Antibiotics can cure me. Restricted exercise: I'll find a way to welcome the break. There's one outcome I just can't live with, though. It's the one that swirls through my mind as I contemplate whether or not a tummy tuck is the right procedure for me: Death.

Thoughts of dying, and leaving my two little boys motherless, keep popping up in my head. When I logically think things through, I don't really believe I'll die while getting this surgery. I think I'll go fast asleep, wake up in a groggy state, and slowly acclimate to my surroundings. Then the pain will kick in, and I'll be oh so aware of how alive I really am.

People die during surgeries, people never expected to face such dire consequences. That's what has me worried. And still wondering. And still straddling the tummy tuck fence. I'm not sure it's enough to count me out on this one. But it's definitely on my mind.

NOTE: Abdominoplasty is recommended for those whose skin and muscle cannot recover on their own as a result of significant weight loss, pregnancy, aging, heredity, or prior surgery. It is not a substitute for weight loss or an appropriate exercise program. For more information about this surgery, click here.

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We'd all like to know that we're going to make it to our retirement and still have a few good years in us to finally enjoy some time off. But the sad reality is that many of us won't make it to those golden years, or won't have the health to enjoy it, and in many cases, this is mostly preventable. As diet guru Julia Havey points out, there are five things that could very well keep you from enjoying you old age:

1. You smoke. Haven't you heard the news? It will kill you, man.
   
2. You don't walk enough. True, cars and elevators are great inventions, but they're also making you a little rounder in the waistline. If you have a couple of minutes to spare (come on, who doesn't?), walk.
   
3. You eat too much saturated fat. Saturated fat is only healthy in moderate amounts. Use with caution.
   
4. You eat too much trans fat. Unlike saturated fats, trans fats are never healthy, no matter what the amount. Rid them from your diet.
   
5. You don't eat enough fruits and veggies. 5-10 a day, that's all it takes.

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That's pretty much what the mayor of a town in France told the locals after the neighboring town's council refused to let them buy adjoining land to expand their crowded cemetery. Apparently needing more room to bury people isn't a a good enough reason to expand, it "isn't justified."

What?!?

Anyway, as a result of this frustration the residents were told they are "forbidden from dying" and are being threatened with "severe punishment" if they die anyway.

Ha! As if dying isn't bad enough.

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Most of us have had it: those itchy, scabby little red dots known as the chicken pox. Me, I had them when I was six, and all I remember is my Nana bringing over a new doll house for me to play with while I was ill. I was in heaven -- itchy, itchy heaven.

Most of us know the deal with the chicken pox--or at least we think we do. Did you know, however, that you can die of the chicken pox? Sadly, that's what happened to a new 37-year-old father only days before Christmas, according to this article from the Daily Mail.

Chicken Pox is often serious if contracted by adults, but rarely is it fatal. Still, if symptoms are severe, it's important to visit the doctor. Luckily, most of us get it in childhood and don't develop it later in life.

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FitSpirit explores the mind-body connection and the intangible benefits we gain from our efforts to stay physically fit.

I'm a fan of talking. I'm not someone who'd ever be labeled a "talker," and by this I mean I don't talk for the sake of talking. I don't hold people captive with endless chit-chat, and I don't need to hear myself speak. I'm as much a fan of silence, really, as I am of talking. Still, when I've got something to say, I say it, especially when not speaking up keeps my feelings and emotions hidden.

In one 10-year study cited in the January 2008 issue of Reader's Digest, about one in four women and one in three men said they held back during a spat. That's what I don't do, can't do, never do. Holding my peace makes me feel sick. According to this same study, this is a natural reaction to suppressing strong emotions. And it's exactly why women who didn't fess up to their feelings in the study were four times as likely to die during the study period. Health wasn't measurably affected for the men in the study.

As we head into a brand new year, with the hope of brand new health, why not resolve to talk more. It might save your relationships -- and your life too.

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Willpower may have nothing to do with your inability to lose weight or stick with that elusive fitness routine. According to Alan Deutschman, author of Change or Die: The Three Keys to Change at Work and in Life, willpower is not so important when it comes to the actual mechanism for change. What's important is finding a relationship with a person or group skilled at showing you the way. It can't be just any relationship, though. It has to be an emotional one with someone who inspires hope and belief, someone who makes you say, "If she can do it, so can I."

Think about the high-powered executive told by his doctor he'll suffer a heart attack if he doesn't switch to a low-fat diet and take up yoga and meditation. Left to his own devices, this man, like nine of out 10 who won't do a thing to change his lifestyle, will ignore medical advice even though the stakes couldn't be higher. But put him in a group setting with others just like him and when he sees his peers eating veggies and chanting yoga speak, he'll do it too. And he's likely to stick with his new ways after a little practice.

The message here is this: If there's something you wish to change but feel stuck, seek out others who intrigue you and make you want to alter your behaviors. Form a relationship with these people and most important, learn from it. Forget willpower, my friends. Find a mentor instead.

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Although in many cases it seems like the health care trends are leaning towards less personalized care, some doctors are trying to go in the other direction instead -- by attending the funerals of their patients. Although it can be a slightly controversial idea (especially if the family wasn't necessarily satisfied with the care), in many cases having the doctor at the funeral can be a positive experience for both sides. The doctor can get a completed picture of the client and have the opportunity to support the family, and the family can build a stronger relationship with the doctor and feel affirmed.

Do you think it's a good idea? Should all doctors try to to make themselves available and open to this idea?

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