HEALTH AND WELLNESS

     The nine-month wait is finally over, and the baby so longed for is about to be born. The expectant mother’s cervix has remained firmly shut, keeping the fetus safely in the womb. But now her cervix thins, softens, and relaxes. The miracle of birth begins.     What is behind the marvelous process of childbirth? Of the several factors involved, two are especially amazing. First, OXYTOCIN , a hormone produced in the brain, is released. Both men and women produce this substance, but a great quantity of it is released in the pregnant mother when labor begins, causing the cervix to dilate and the uterus to contract.        Just how the pituitary gland of the expectant mother knows when to begin releasing this hormones is a mystery. The book incredible Voyage- Exploring the Human Body states: somehow her brain senses that gestation is complete and that it is time for the powerful uterine muscles … to take on their brief but heroic job.        A second factor involved in this

                                        A few drops of blood taken from a newborn can show whether the baby has a thyroid abnormality. If blood tests reveal a problem, physicians can take corrective measures. Lacking sufficient thyroid hormones, a child may become physically and mentally retarded, a condition called cretinism. Hence, babies are usually tested just days after birth.                                                     Thyroid impairment may be the result of a diet poor in iodine, physical or mental stress, genetic defects, infections, disease [usually autoimmune disease], or side effects of medications prescribed for various        illnesses. An enlarged thyroid, or goiter, may be an indication of disease. The enlargement may be diffuse or in the form of nodules. Although genetically benign goiters should always receive medical attention, for they might indicate a more serious condition, such as cancer.     Just as the accelerator controls the speed of a car