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Wednesday, August 4, 2010 – Daily News – 3B FEATURES The effects of smoke on a fetus DEAR DR. GOTT: My daughter is about to have her first child. Both she and her husband smoke, which is of great concern to me. Is my future grandchild in any danger because of their tobacco habits? Dr. Peter Gott DEAR READER: Yes, he or she is. Research has been ongoing for quite some time on this very subject. An associate pro- fessor of pediatrics affili- ated with Massachusetts General Hospital co-wrote a commentary that accom- panied the research report. Physicians, specifically obstetricians, have been advising pregnant women for years of the dangers of smoking to their unborn babies. A woman’s body does not act as a filter sys- tem protecting her fetus from the toxins in tobac- co. The first trimester is most critical, but the con- sensus is that pregnant women should not smoke. The habit can cause low birth weight, and possibly aggressive and disruptive behavior. I say “possibly” because the jury is out on whether there is a connec- tion. Researchers did find that children whose fathers smoked were much more likely to be heavier at ages 7 and 11. There has always been a thought that a person who smokes will be thinner than one who doesn’t. Smoking may actually increase a person’s weight in the midsection and hips, and that trait is seen in children exposed to tobacco smoke. While your daughter carries a possible burden by smoking, the second- hand smoke from her hus- band is equally to blame. She inhales what he exhales. Her fetus falls right into line and can suf- fer the consequences. What isn’t often discussed is thirdhand smoking — that is, the smoke that enters her lungs and their baby’s lungs from couch cushions, draperies, car- pets, pillows, car seats and the like. Kicking the habit is a difficult one, but there is help for anyone willing to try. There is coun- seling, over-the- counter patches, medications and step-by-step instructions through the web- site www.Smok- ing- Cessation.org. Circulation will improve, blood- pressure readings will return to normal, the senses of taste and smell will improve, and the sim- ple act of breathing will be easier when a person quits. What’s most impor- tant is that the risk of can- cer will decrease each hour, day, month and year the habit is kicked. That sounds like a good legacy to pass on to your grand- child. To provide related information, I am sending you a copy of my Health Report “Pulmonary Dis- ease.” Other readers who would like a copy should send a self-addressed stamped No. 10 envelope and a $2 check or money order to Newsletter, P.O. Box 167, Wickliffe, OH 44092-0167. Be sure to mention the title or print an order form off my web- site at www.AskDr- GottMD.com. DEAR DR. GOTT: Sometimes when I have a bowel movement, my feces goes to the bottom of the toilet. At other times, it floats. Why the difference? DEAR READER: “Floaters” have an increased level of air and gas, making them less dense. There’s also a con- nection with gastrointesti- nal infections causing buoyant feces. Diet enters the picture here and makes a difference that can vary the results from day to day. Overall, more people have “sinkers” than “floaters,” but don’t ask me who performed that survey! Dr. Peter H. Gott is a retired physician and the author of several books, including “Live Longer, Live Better,” “Dr. Gott’s No Flour, No Sugar Diet” and “Dr. Gott’s No Flour, No Sugar Cookbook,” which are available at most bookstores or online. His website is www.AskDrGottMD.com. Neophyte nurturer needles newborn Dear Annie: My friend ‘‘Helen’’ has a 5-month-old baby, ‘‘Petey.’’ This is her first child. She has no sib- lings and very little family, so her experience with babies is limited. Petey seems to be rather small (about 12 pounds) for a 5-month-old. He seldom lifts his arms or legs or does any of the things my chil- dren did at that age. Helen has used a swaddling blan- ket on Petey since he was born. She makes him take a lot of extended naps during the day, plus at least eight hours of sleep at night. I fear she may have done some harm with this tight bondage, maybe cut- ting off circulation to his limbs. How can I approach Helen about my concerns? Should I just MYOB? She becomes very defensive if any- one makes a comment about the baby. Her grandmother made a few suggestions once, and Helen didn’t let her see Petey for six weeks. Also, Petey has not been checked by a doctor for nearly two months. Is this OK? Please give me some guide- lines. — Shirley Dear Shirley: Swaddling is quite common and often helps babies sleep. Most infants outgrow it by 2 months, although some continue a while longer. It is usually a good Annie’s Mailbox by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar idea to stop swaddling when the baby learns to roll over, since it can become too con- stricting. At the very least, the swaddling should be loosened. Also, the longer an infant is swaddled the harder it can be to get the child to learn to sleep without it. The pediatrician should see Petey roughly every two months to check his develop- ment. Between 4 months and 7 months, babies should be rolling over, reaching out for things and able to stay in a sitting position and hold up their heads and chests when lying on their stomachs. It’s time to call the doctor if these milestones are not reached by 7 months, or if the child doesn’t use an arm, a leg or one side of the body. Petey may be just fine, but if you think otherwise, bring this column to Helen, and use it to start a neutral discussion. Dear Annie: My 16-year-old son has mostly girls for friends. They invite him everywhere. He does have a couple of guy friends, but they hang around other boys my son doesn’t like very much, so he usual- ly stays away. He also isn’t very good at sports, so he avoids them. Is this OK? — N.Y. Dear N.Y.: Yes. A lot of perfect- ly normal teenage boys are not ath- letic and/or have little interest in sports, and many find the company of girls less threatening than that of teenage males, who can be aggres- sive and taunting. If your son seems well-adjusted and is relatively happy and doing well in school, we would- n’t worry about these preferences. Dear Annie: ‘‘Not Knowing Is Painful’’ asked how to find out whether her son’s ex-girlfriend, who won’t return his calls, had given birth to their child in Nevada. We’ve all heard stories of women who place their babies for adoption without the father’s knowledge. Our state has a putative father registry. It lets the state, court and social ser- vices, etc., know that there is a potential and interested father out there. In my state, having sex with someone is considered prior notice of the pregnancy and birth of a child. Fathers who don’t register within the proper timeframe may involun- tarily forfeit all their parental rights. Please tell ‘‘Not Knowing’’ to have her son check this out. — Joanne Dear Joanne: Thank you for the information. About 23 states have putative father registries, which allow a father to voluntarily acknowledge paternity. Although each state’s requirements may differ, ‘‘Not Knowing’’ should suggest her son contact the Division of Welfare and Supportive Services in Nevada. Students learn to think outside the box Forget everything you've heard about television being bad for you. This fall Shasta College's Tehama Campus will offer students course credit for watching television. And you won't even have to sub- scribe to cable or satellite to enjoy it. Exploring Contempo- rary Television (Humanities 70) is a course designed to explore the enormous effect that TV has had on popular culture — and the impact of pop culture on television — over the past 60 years. Registration is now open for students in both Red Bluff and Anderson sec- tions of the course From Milton Berle, "Father Knows Best" and "I Love Lucy" to "Survivor," "Dexter" and "The Daily Show," students watch many of the best — and even a few of the worst — programs throughout the varied history of TV, says course instructor Bryon Burruss. But the class is about much more than watching great classic and new televi- sion, Burruss said, it's about learning of the effect that TV and the media has on you every single day. Will Hollywood grow up for boomers? By JANE GLENN HAAS (MCT) — Robert Duvall looked con- fused. Sissy Spacek was startled. I had just told each of them they had been "outstanding! Got-to-see-it magnifi- cent!" in the newly released film, "Get Low." "You were honest in the way you show- cased the fears, hopes, expectations of aging people," I said. "Actors usually don't age well in Hollywood." I'm not sure Duvall and Spacek thought about their performances as championing aging issues. Ah, but they were. Just as Leonardo DeCaprio personifies the new preoccupation with mind over matter in "Inception." I was talking to them at the premier screening of "Get Low," one of those makes-you-think films about a Tennessee hermit who throws a public funeral to find out what people will say about him. Duvall's the hermit, of course. At 79, he plays the stubborn old coot with just the right amount of dignity and orneriness. He hammers home his message with the sign, "No Damn Trespassing. Beware of Mule." So you could leave it there and still enjoy this independent film. Spending a couple of hours with an old coot can be fun. But there's so much more here. Spacek is an old girlfriend who moved away, married, and returns a widow with some expecta- tions for a future. How Duvall rewrites her memories and her desires shows in her every expression and gesture. And then there's Bill Murray, the funeral home director who definitely puts money over matter, and Bill Cobbs, in a blazing performance as the minister who finally cajoles Duvall into acting his age. (Yes, there's also handsome hunkahunka Lucas Black – who also acts his age. Late 20s? But, then, most films have hunkahunkas of one sex or the other.) Aging hasn't been a favorite topic in an industry devoted to fabrication and fairy tales. I wish I could say this film presages a Hollywood awareness that boomers are crossing that 65-and-plus divide with the same hopes and dreams of their youth _ to make money, to make a difference, to find love and intimacy, to leave a legacy. Will Hollywood ever grow up for them? Before heading over to the premier, I joined a friend and stopped by a Silverado Senior Living home in Beverly Hills. We were just visiting. And as I waited for her in the lounge, I was watching an old movie on TV. James Cagney was tapping. Gordon MacRae was crooning. Virginia Mayo was looking beautiful and Doris Day was lul- labying. Even dancer Gene Nelson was fea- tured in this 1950s classic, "The West Point Story." The Silverado clients loved it. They may be in varying stages of dementia, but they still know all the words to the songs. Besides, they love fantasy. "The West Point Story" features a Broadway director who comes to the military academy to help the guys put on a show. Yeah. Like that's what we know our military guys are doing today _ tapping their toes across the sands of Afghanistan. Nothing wrong with a little fantasy now and then, of course. But how welcome to see a film like "Get Low" that seems to portray real people. Even people with gray hair and wrinkles. Will Hollywood grow old with us? I doubt it. Actually, I'm not sure I'd want to see their version of old age. Remember Ma and Pa Kettle? Congratulations to those who worked so hard, they tell me it took years, to bring "Get Low" to the screen. It's not often we honest- ly see ourselves, warts and all. "TV isn't all good or all bad," he said. "It can be an amazing entertainment device — think of the countless hours of laughter and shock and drama and tears you've enjoyed over the years in front of the tube." With experience in the TV, film, stage and radio industries, Burruss guides students through the maze of fascinating historic events that led to TV as we know it today, including such things as the invention of television by a 14-year- old farmer's son, the evolu- tion of commercials, the impact of color TV on the Vietnam War and even the ultimate solution to the mystery of the JFK assassi- nation. Seats are still available for this popular and contro- versial course in two differ- ent sections — one in Red Bluff and one in Anderson, and are open to adults of all ages. Advance high school students can apply through their school counselors, or speak with a college repre- sentative at the number below. The Anderson section runs 5-7:50 p.m. Wednes- days at New Technology High School. The Red Bluff section is 7-9:50 p.m. Thursdays at the Shasta College Tehama Campus. Classes begin the week of Aug. 16. Students can register by calling 529-8980 or online at www.shastacollege.edu. The course is designed to meet Humanities General Education requirements for transfer and for the Associ- ate in Arts Degree.