A recent study concluded that the births of male babies expose mothers to higher levels of post-partum depression.

Experts from the French university Nancy 2 drew their findings from an experiment involving 181 women who had given birth. The scientists measured that one-third of the test subjects had experienced postnatal depression (PND)

Pregnant Bahraini women will no longer know the gender of their fetus despite the advances of modern technology. The country's health authorities banned medical staff from disclosing the baby's sex to prevent abortion of female fetuses.

Among several cultures, including the Middle East, pregnant women have been known to abort female babies over the possible negative reaction of their husband once he finds out the child is a girl

Blood pressure increase and reduction in size of the human heart has been observed in both genders when a person reaches 50. Researchers from St. Francis Hospital, The Heart Center in New York revealed the landmark finding, which placed a definite age marker for major changes in the human heart.

While the cardiovascular phenomenon occurs in both men and women, there are still major differences between blood pressure levels and heart sizes between males and females, said Dr. Nathaniel Reichek, director of Research and Education at St. Francis and lead researcher for the study

A recent National Consumption Study among Germans showed contrasting weight problems between genders in the country. While two-thirds of German men were officially overweight, 10 percent of German women below 17 were underweight and not taking in sufficient nutrients to remain healthy.

Even younger German men were not spared the weight problem since almost one-third of males between 18 to 29 were overweight. Older German women had weight problems also, with 51 percent officially overweight

More Britons are turning away from the deadly vices of smoking and drinking, according to the Office for National Statistics. The ONS said only 22 percent of Britons still lit, down from 27 percent in 1999. Another 66 percent said they want to give up the habit.

The growing global trend towards a healthier lifestyle is also reflected in the downward trend in alcohol consumption. On Monday, the JD Wetherspoon pub chain said it placed on hold its expansion plan because of a dip in sales of beer and wines, linking the drop to the smoking ban in public places