Posted by
Shogrensus on Tuesday, May 01, 2007 7:25:38 PM
May 1, 2007
Ricki Lake, guest host, is promoting her documentary, “The Business of Being Born” which discusses the business of childbirth in America with the women of the View.
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Rosie: In nearly every other civilized nation in the world, besides the United States, that is a normal thing to have a midwife. Not to go to the hospital, right?
Lake: Actually in Europe and Japan, most births, 70% of births are midwife attended
Joy: What makes them right, though? You don’t know that- What makes them right and us wrong?
Lake: It’s not right or wrong
Joy: But why, why do they
Rosie: Because it’s a business of being born. There’s money to be made and they’re just saying in other nations a large percentage of babies are born with midwives and / or at home
Lake: and having fewer infant deaths, newborn deaths and fewer maternal deaths so
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The data on infant mortality is interesting but not necessarily conclusive. There are many reasons why the infant mortality rate may be higher in the U.S. than in other countries. Just for starters, many, many high risk pregnancies continue on to viability in the U.S. because women have access to better prenatal care. Every baby that dies is counted in these infant mortality stats. In most other countries, women have miscarriages that are not counted in these figures.
There is also a discrepancy in statistics based on socio-economic status. Many women who live in poverty do not seek prenatal care and often don’t ensure their baby has a healthy womb environment. Poor diet, use of chemicals (including drugs, alcohol and cigarettes) lack of sleep and increased stress all contribute to the increased risk of a baby being born pre-term. These factors also contribute to a higher rate of infant mortality.
Comparing the overall infant mortality statistics in the U.S. to other countries is comparing apples to oranges.
The women then discussed the increased rate of C-sections:
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Elisabeth: And you expose something about big cities too- that there’s so many more c-sections- everyone that I talk to “oh you didn’t have a C- you didn’t have a c-section”
Lake: An elective C-section. There’s a big difference – necessary C-section It’s a major operation- major, major abdominal surgery. We’re just trying to get the information to the public about the risks of everything, you know so you can make your own informed choice
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In January 2007 a study, designed to research brain development, was released by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The researchers were shocked when MRIs of the brains of 26% of the newborns who were delivered vaginally revealed bleeding in the brain. None of the babies born via c-section had brain bleeds.(Click here for information from University of NC at Chapel Hill)
As this study just occurred, there is no long term data to indicate the importance of these bleeds. Doctors have never considered this possibility- at least not publicly. Doctors will say there is no evidednce these bleeds cause any long term problems. There can not be evidence- no one has studied the issue. Until more study is done to verify or disprove the findings, doctors will ignore this first study- we wouldn't want to scare anyone.
Or maybe we should ask: could the increased number of children with autism be even partially attributed to brain bleeds? What about the increased numbers of children with learning disabilities? Who knows what disabilities could be prevented if these brain bleeds could be eliminated.
Can it be a total coincidence that NONE of the babies delivered by c-section had a bleed. No doctor would ever say a bleed in the brain is nothing to worry about. If a doctor knew an infant had bleeding in the brain, they would order tests to follow up to ensure the matter had resolved. For most children, the bleeds probably do resolve with no or minimal complications.
26% chance of having a bleed with a vaginal delivery. 26%. Those are pretty high odds for parents hoping to have a healthy child. Most parents would do anything they could to reduce the risk of harming their child. A planned C-section poses very little risk to a mom. Most moms would gladly assume the risk to protect their child.
The businesses that benefit from the birthing process will be swimming in the dough if additional studies prove this first study to be true.