Why have interventions in pregnancy, labor and birth become routine? Why do we see a thick file full of investigations and scans in moms who transfer care to us, even though they are essentially completely healthy? Why is birth seen as risky? For example one OB laughingly said We assume all babies have big heads, until they come out!! How can we as a society start to trust birth again? Here is a wonderful article from Dr. Marsden Wagner.. ....Obstetricians, like all clinicians, work hard to help one patient at a time. In balancing efficacy and risks, doctors desire to help puts the focus on efficacy rather than risks resulting in a number of examples of interventions which went into widespread use before adequate scientific evaluation. Prenatal X-ray pelvimetry in the 1930s, di-ethyl-stillbesterol (DES) for pregnant women in the 1950s and thalidomide for pregnant women in the 1970s are examples of obstetric interventions which have had tragic consequences because they went into widespread use before adequate scientific evaluation. Routine electronic foetal monitoring during labour became widespread and yet scientific evaluation proves it does not lower perinatal mortality but does increase unnecessary caesarian section. And we are still not certain of the long-term consequences of routine prenatal ultrasound scans and routine epidural block for normal labour pain. ...This has led to a series of failed attempts in the twentieth century to improve on biological and social evolution. Doctors replaced midwives for low risk births, then science proved midwives safer. Hospital replaced home for low risk birth, then science proved home as safe with far less unnecessary intervention. Hospital staff replaced family as birth support, then science proved birth safer if family present. Lithotomy replaced vertical birth positions, then science proved vertical positions safer. Newborn examinations away from mothers in the first 20 minutes replaced leaving babies with mothers, then science proved the necessity for maternal attachment during this time. Man-made milk replaced woman-made milk, then science proved breast milk superior. The central nursery replaced the mother, then science proved rooming-in superior. drmomma.org/2009/08/fish-cant-see-water-need-to-humanize.html
Posted on: Fri, 02 May 2014 18:08:42 +0000
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