On Wednesday, we heard tragic news of the death of actress Natasha Richardson from a skiing accident (featured on right).

And across the pond, celebrity watching has taken a ghoulish turn with the obsessive coverage of cancer-stricken reality TV star Jade Goody’s imminent death. After being diagnosed with terminal cancer and given just weeks to live in February, she sold the rights to her wedding to a celebrity magazine and appeared on countless TV shows and in newspapers to discuss her illness, her marriage, and numerous products – perfume, books, fitness DVDs – she’s lent her name to.

The connection? Both women are mothers, Natasha Richardson has two teenage sons with her husband Liam Neeson, and Jade Goody also has two sons, aged four and five.

I never gave it much thought before I had my son, but now I’m a mom it occasionally worries me. What would happen to my son if I died? I don’t have a will, I’m separated from his father, I live in a different country to my family, I don’t have any life insurance. Who would look after him and how would they afford it? I’m more worried more about who he would end up living with than the money, but I also want him to have at least as much financial security as I could provide for him.

Jade Goody’s has stated that her motivation for dying in the public eye is to make as much money for her son’s futures before her death. Loosing their mother is as hard for celebrity children as it is for non-celebrity kids and I would imagine that it won’t be much comfort for Jade or Natasha’s boys that their financial futures are taken care of.  But I guess that their mothers would prefer that their children won’t have the extra stress of worrying about money.

Neither woman could have expected that they would leave their children motherless. Jade was diagnosed with cervical cancer at the very young age of 26, and Natasha was probably enjoying a fun day on the slopes. We have no control over accidents and illnesses but we can have some control over what comes next if the worst happens. All parents should have a will, and moms in circumstances like mine with broken families or other complicated situations need one most of all. A will is important because it can state your wishes for who should look after your child or children, and allocate money for doing so.

So where do you start? Wills can be complex depending on your circumstances, but here’s an overview of the process and a brief guide from CNN for parents to make a will.

When it comes to mortality rates among newborn babies, it seems that gender has a lot to do with it.

A recent study shows that baby boys are more likely to die than baby girls in industrialized countries like Europe, Canada, the United States, Japan and Australia. In 1970s, boys had about a 30 percent higher chance than girls to die before they reach their 1st birthday. Recently, however, the gap has narrowed down to 20 percent. This improvement in survival rates is most likely due to medical practices that helped more infant boys survive, including more Cesarean sections and intensive care units for premature babies.

So why are baby boys at a disadvantage compared to girls?

? Boys have 60 percent more likelihood than girls to be born prematurely.
? Boys have higher chances of having neonatal respiratory distress syndrome, a condition that makes it difficult for a baby to breathe. This syndrome can occur in premature babies whose lungs have not yet fully developed.
? Boys also face a higher risk of injury and death during term delivery because they tend to have larger bodies and bigger heads

Reading this report and the statistics therein made me realize how lucky I am. My twin boys were born prematurely and spent 2 weeks in a neonatal station for low birth weights and respiratory problems. It seems like a miracle that they are now very healthy almost 5-year olds?

Sources:

MSNBC 24 March 2008Drevenstedt et al. The rise and fall of excess male infant mortality. Proceedings National Academy of Sciences April 1, 2008 vol. 105(13)5016-5021.

As mom of twins who were born premature and with low birth weights, I always keep my eyes and ears open for the latest developments in birth weight research. Low birth weight has always been associated with health problems such as heart diseases and diabetes in adulthood. But what about high birth weights?

A large-scale Scandinavian study shows that there is a relationship between an individual`s life span and his/her weight at birth. And it`s not only small babies who are at risk. Extra-large babies were shown to be in danger as well.

The study studied 216,464 individuals born between 1935 and 1980 and looked at their mortality risks in adulthood (ages 25 to 68 years). Their results show that:

• Babies who weighed between 2 and 2.75 kg (about 4.4 to 6 lbs) have 17% higher mortality risk as adults.
• Babies who weighed 4.25 to 5.5 kg (about 9.4 to 12 lbs) have 7% higher mortality risks as adults.
• It seems that the ideal birth weight that translates to the best longevity is between 3.25 and 3.750 kg (about 7.1 to 8.3 lbs).

The researchers also looked at the causes of death with the following findings:

• Those with very low as well as very high birth weights will have higher chances of developing cardiovascular diseases and having problems with their blood sugar.
• Those with low birth weights have the lowest risk of dying from cancer. Cancer risk seems to increase with increasing birth weight.

Of course, we musn`t forget that other factors such as nutrition, physical activity, lifestyle, and genetics also play a role in an individual`s longevity

The birth weight of our babies is partly determined by our eating habits during pregnancy. We, moms, can influence our children`s health well into adulthood and even how long they would live. Now, that`s a rather awesome but also scary thought!

Source:

Baker JL, Olsen LW, S?rensen TI. Weight at birth and all-cause mortality in adulthood. Epidemiology. 2008 Mar;19(2):197-203.

Babycenter.com, 22 March 2008