Spotlight

Pros and cons of learning baby's sex

Finding out baby's sex before birth is becoming quite a fashion amongst parents. All it requires is a 4D ultra sonogram. Major diagnostic centres of the city such as Lab Aid, Medinova and Popular is charging around tk1000 for the service in exchange, parents are getting to know their baby long before delivery.

4D ultra sonogram can be performed during the 6 or 7th month of pregnancy. In 90 percent cases the reading is accurate. Which means in the case of the other 10 percent the reading can show you wrong information.

In the developed world there are even more sophisticated technology that can tell you the sex of the baby in the earliest stages like 2 months of pregnancy. This technology can even tell the information about the gene pattern of the baby. Sample fluid from the embryo is taken, which is later tested in the lab.

The main reason why parents don't wait till delivery is because they can decide on the name without going through many hassles. Disagreement about the names can be solved earlier. Parents can get more time to buy clothes for the baby. They get enough time to choose them and get sex specific ones. Decoration of the baby's room requires time, and this can be done steadily as well. Parents can better prepare for events after baby's birth; such as if it is a boy the circumcision ritual can be done instantly. To some parent 4D ultra sonogram is also a kind of assurance that everything regarding baby's health is going smoothly.

Some parents however disagree. They seem to feel at ease with the condition of not knowing. Shahana Parvin and Nazmul Bari are expecting their first child in January next year. To them, waiting eagerly for the whole period is romantic. They would love to relish the surprise of being a parent. "Knowing it earlier spoils all the fun", says Parvin. Among other grounds for not knowing is that parents could have fantasies about a baby of either sex. They can romanticise with the names. It is also the way that people have been doing it since Creation.

There are some negative impacts of the technology. In neighbouring India it was misused on a mass scale. Abortion rates rose very high in the case of girl children. In some states the ratio of women to men has decreased drastically, which became alarming for the whole population. It is now banned in the country, although the practice is still going on illegally.

In Bangladesh, "the trend is catching" tell us one ultra sonogram expert of a diagnostic centre. She tell us preferring not to be named " some parents become upset if the child is a girl and some of them consider abortion in such cases". We contacted Dr. Rawshan Ara Begum of Holy Family Hospital to learn about the risk factor of abortion at such a late stage. She tells us, "It is very risky to perform abortion during the 6th or 7th months of pregnancy. Within all these years of my practice I haven't done a single one". Doctors discourage the parents not to do the ultra sonogram in most of the cases. In a complex situation of the pregnancy only they recommend ultra sonogram.

Knowing or not knowing the sex of the baby will remain the same and parents will know about it sooner or later. So doctors advise them to stop worrying, be cautious during the period, and enjoy the pregnancy.

By Shahnaz Parveen

News flash

Thai fruit festival at Agora

To promote all the fascinating Thai fruits to Bangladeshi consumer the Thai Trade centre arranged a three-day long Thai Fruit Festival at Agora from July 7 to 9. The festival displayed Mangosteen, honey dew, green mango, Thai lychee, dragon fruit and more exotic fruits from Thailand.

On July 7 Thai ambassador to Bangladesh inaugurated the festival at the Gulshan centre of Agora. Among other attraction there was colourful cultural program presented by Thai performers. During the festival Thai trade centre distribute free fruits to the shoppers.

Summer sale at Shopper World

Shopping pleases a lot of people. The pleasure escalates when there is a discount in the favourite shopping mall. Shoppers World situated at Gulshan Avenue is offering discount up to 50 percent for their customers on some selected item.
The sale titled "Hot Summer Sale 2004" offers discounts on sari, three piece, baby dress, shoes, perfume, and some other item.
Starting on 9th the sale will continue till July 25. -LS Desk

Leave no stains behind….

Stains got you in a sweat? Wondering how that ugly spot got there in the first place? Ripping your hair out trying to figure out how you can get rid of it? Well here the top ten stain pains and their cures:

Soiled Shirt Collars: Take a small paintbrush and brush hair shampoo into soiled shirt collars before laundering. Shampoo is made to dissolve body oils.

Grease Stains: Sprinkle a generous amount of cornstarch or baby powder over the grease stain, allow it to sit for a couple of minutes, and then brush the powder off. The powder absorbs the grease and it brushes off with the powder.

Ink Stains: Remove ink-stain from a cloth by applying toothpaste on both sides of the cloth. Wash the cloth, once the toothpaste dries out.

Oil Stains: Remove ink-stain from a cloth by applying toothpaste on both sides of the cloth. Wash the cloth, once the toothpaste dries out.

Lipstick Stains: Use petroleum jelly for removing lipstick stains.

Rust and Mineral Stains: Add 1 cup of bottled lemon juice in the wash to remove discoloration from cotton laundry.

Spaghetti Stains: Wet the fabric and then sprinkle with powdered dish detergent. Scrub gently with a toothbrush. Rinse the item and launder normally.

Coffee, Tea Stains on whites: Pre-soak item in liquid detergent with bleach. Wash using the hottest water temperature that is safe for the fabric.

Mud Stains: Brush off as much as possible when garment is dry, then rinse under cold running water. Pre-treat with a paste of powder detergent and water, or liquid laundry detergent. Wash using laundry detergent and fabric-safe bleach.

Whiteout / Liquid Paper and Permanent Marker Stains: Dab some sunscreen over the stain and rub off with a paper towel. Repeat until stain is gone.

So what are you waiting for? Get working on those stains before they get to you. Happy washing!

By Tahiat-e-Mahboob

Eyes on etiquette
by Farzana Shakil

Stick your neck out
It is important to remember there is more to it than just a pretty face. Your pretty face relies greatly on the support provided by your neck. The neck must also look beautiful and should be considered a part of your face. Your complexion starts at the base of your throat, so the rule of thumb is when you put foundation cream or powder on your face, put it also on your neck.

The most beneficial treatment to ensure a relaxed and smooth throat line is to adopt a perfect posture. If you hold your head incorrectly, the long throat muscles that stretch from collarbone to chin have no support, and you automatically and, ominously, encourage the growth of a double chin.

Holding the head correctly also eliminates the strain on the back muscles, a double or sagging chin and a wrinkly throat. If your neck is made ugly by superfluous fat or wrinkled skin, you will not only need to cream and oil your neck, but take more energetic action as well.

Try the following four exercises:
A) Pretend you are chewing something and throw your head back as far as possible, chewing all the while with your mouth open. You will feel the muscles pulling when you do this, Repeat, pointing your chin first to the left, and then to the right.

B) Do head rotations. Roll your head in a circle, letting it fall on your chest, then over one shoulder as far back as possible and around the front again via the other shoulder.

C) It is time to tackle the double chin. Place a generous amount of lubricating cream on your neck and chin and massage the cream on your double chin with the heel of your hand. Using each hand in turn, follow the jawline and exert even pressure. It is also useful to smack your chin firmly and repeatedly with the back of your hand. Do this several times a day.

D) Before getting out of bed in the morning, remove your pillow and lie flat on your back. Without raising your shoulders, lift your head about two inches, then put your head down. Repeat five times.

Improving your neckline enables you to cultivate a good upright posture. Perhaps, it is time to realize it pays to stick your neck out sometimes!

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Reminder

In Holiday mode

Go to local restaurants or try out the native fast food.

Make sure that children don’t stay out too long in the sun, that they are protected with sun block, and that they drink enough liquids.

Keep a recent photograph of each of the children with you, for easier identification in case they get lost. Make sure they know the name of your hotel, so the police can help them get back to you. Tell children that they must approach people in authority -- or other mothers with children -- when they get lost.