In Brief

By Lisa McLaughlin

WORKING MOMS The first baby in a family may not cause major upheaval for working couples, but baby No. 2 alters everything. A study presented at a recent meeting of the American Anthropological Association reports that a woman's working life changes dramatically with a second child. While most professional women return to working full time after the first baby, more than 50% switch to part-time work or take a leave of absence after the birth of the second.

STRONG HUSBANDS A study of senior citizens presented at the Gerontological Society of America has a rather retro conclusion: husbands and wives live longer when the wife has a strong man to lean on emotionally and he is not as dependent on her. Among couples who leaned equally, wives had nine times the death rate and husbands four times the death rate of more traditional couples. As gender roles change, though, the findings may not hold true for aging baby boomers and Gen-Xers.

AFTER THE HONEYMOON Researchers at the University of Washington have found that the behavior of newlyweds in the first few years of marriage can be predictive. Frequent use of unifying words such as "us" and "we," significant interaction in the spouses' daily life, and public demonstrations of fondness for the partner are signs of future marital stability. By contrast, couples who describe their lives as chaotic tend to divorce early.

--By Lisa McLaughlin