Parents Affect Kids' Heart Disease Risk : "
By Ed Edelson
HealthDay Reporter, Forbes.com:
"TUESDAY, Oct. 12 (HealthDayNews) -- What parents do -- and don't do -- before the birth of a child and through the early years of life has a significant effect on the child's risk of developing heart disease as an adult, two studies find. One study of Australian women and their children found that a woman's smoking habits during pregnancy, her decision on breast-feeding, and even her weight affected a child's blood pressure, a major risk factor for heart disease. And a study that hits closer to home found that a startlingly large percentage of American teens have one or more risk factors for heart disease, such as high blood pressure, obesity, and bad cholesterol readings. It's a finding the lead researcher attributes to a lack of parental guidance..."