“Thousands of Indian women die needlessly during pregnancy’ - Daily Times” plus 4 more

Thousands of Indian women die needlessly during pregnancy’ - Daily Times
Moms-to-be should avoid licorice - United Press International
Levi Johnston Jokes Of Pregnancy in Ad - Myfoxdc.com
Prenatal SSRIs Linked to Problems in Newborns - Medscape News
Why pregnancy is a good time for sex - The Sun

Thousands of Indian women die needlessly during pregnancy’ - Daily Times

Posted: 07 Oct 2009 04:58 PM PDT

Thousands of Indian women die needlessly during pregnancy

* HRW says 75 percent of maternal deaths preventable

NEW DELHI: Tens of thousands of Indian women die needlessly every year during pregnancy or because of childbirth-related problems, a human rights group said on Wednesday, blaming a medical system hobbled by poor planning, caste discrimination, a lack of accountability and limited access to emergency care.

India has a maternal mortality rate 16 times higher than Russia, and 10 times higher than China, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in a report. That means one out of every 70 Indian women who reach reproductive age will die because of pregnancy, childbirth or during unsafe abortions.

Deaths preventable: For an emerging global economic power famous for its medical prowess, India continues to have unacceptably high maternal mortality levels, the report said. Aruna Kashyap, a lead researcher on the report, summed it up simply: Seventy-five percent of maternal deaths (in India) are preventable. While India has had an overall decline in maternal mortality in the past few years, the rights group says those figures mask continuing and sometimes worsening problems in parts of the country. Some states, including the heavily populated north Indian states of Haryana and Punjab, actually showed an increase in maternal mortality. And significant disparities based on income, caste, place of residence and other arbitrary factors persist even within every state, including those that appear to be improving access to care for pregnant women and mothers. The results have led to staggering numbers. In 2005, the last year for which overall figures were available, about 117,000 women died due to maternal-related reasons, Kashyap said.

A big part of the problem, the report found, was a lack of accountability over maternal mortality, with government officials, hospitals and health workers dodging responsibility for the problems that lead to such high death rates. Those problems range from ill-trained obstetric staff to charging crippling fees to poor villagers $10 for a delivery in some clinics, plus $1 to cut the umbilical cord and $1 for the delivery room cleaner. Those numbers may not look high, but many Indian villagers support their families on less than $2 a day, and are seldom able to save at all. Plus, deliveries, and pre- and postnatal care are supposed to be free.

These guarantees exist on paper, but when it comes to translating paper guarantees into practice theres a big gap, Kashyap said in an interview. The report said that in Uttar Pradesh, the countrys most populous state, only about one in 100 community health centres, the government-run clinics where many women deliver, have storage facilities for blood.

Dalits: In addition, caste discrimination continues to plague Indian mothers. One 2007 study in six north Indian states found that 61 percent of maternal deaths were among Dalits as untouchables are now called and the indigenous people known here as tribals, the HRW said. Those two communities are at the very bottom of Indias complex social ladder, and are far more likely to live without equal access to jobs, education or healthcare. In Uttar Pradesh, caste discrimination is an ingrained part of the medical system, doctors and activists say. Upper-caste health workers refuse to visit Dalit communities, said Lenin Raghuvanshi, a rights activist. Because of that pregnant Dalit women do not get (nutritional) supplements and the majority of them are anemic. ap

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Moms-to-be should avoid licorice - United Press International

Posted: 07 Oct 2009 11:57 AM PDT

EDINBURGH, Scotland, Oct. 7 (UPI) -- Women who eat large amounts of licorice while pregnant could adversely affect their child's intelligence or behavior, Scottish and Finnish researchers said.

Researchers at the University of Helsinki and the University of Edinburgh looked at children born in Finland, where consumption of licorice among young women is common.

Professor Jonathan Seckl of the University of Edinburgh's Centre for Cardiovascular Science said 8-year-olds whose mothers had been monitored for licorice consumption during pregnancy were tested on a range of cognitive functions including vocabulary, memory and spatial awareness.

Behavior was assessed using an in-depth questionnaire completed by the mother, which is also used by clinicians to evaluate children's behavior, Seckl said.

The study, published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, found women who ate more than 500 mg of glycyrrhizin per week -- found in the equivalent of 100 g of pure licorice -- were more likely to have children with lower intelligence levels and more behavioral problems.

In the study, 64 children were exposed to high levels of glycyrrhizin in licorice, 46 to moderate levels and 211 to low levels.

"Expectant mothers should avoid eating excessive amounts of licorice," Katri Raikkonen of the University of Helsinki said.

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Levi Johnston Jokes Of Pregnancy in Ad - Myfoxdc.com

Posted: 07 Oct 2009 06:28 AM PDT

UNDATED - Levi Johnston, father of Sarah Palin's grandchild, has shown up in a new ad for Wonderful Pistachios.

In the ad, Johnston alludes to his and Bristol Palin's unplanned teen pregnancy.

He walks into the screen with Tank Jones portraying his bodyguard. When given the ok, Johnston breaks open a pistachio as a voiceover reads, "Now Levi Johnston does it with protection."

On The Net:

http://www.getcrackin.com/

On You Tube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggB6SsB4DgM

Prenatal SSRIs Linked to Problems in Newborns - Medscape News

Posted: 07 Oct 2009 10:09 AM PDT

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Why pregnancy is a good time for sex - The Sun

Posted: 07 Oct 2009 06:45 PM PDT

PREGNANCY is a time when most women are blooming.

As in, blooming fed up with all the health advice they're given.

Antenatal information overload means that a joyful and natural time of your life can become nine months of anxiety.

Just buying cheese is a trial, as one expectant lady recently discovered: The woman at the supermarket deli counter refused to sell her some cheddar.

Why? Because of the "risk" to the unborn child.

This is doubly wrong. First, shop workers shouldn't be an offshoot of the Health Police.

And second, it's only soft cheeses like Brie that should be avoided - they contain a germ, listeria, which can harm the baby.

But this shows that some people have odd ideas about pregnancy and are not afraid to voice them.

Here are some other common pregnancy myths - together with a few useful tips.

You shouldn't take up exercise during pregnancy. Wrong - just be sensible and do it gradually. But avoid contact sports and scuba diving.

Mayonnaise and salad cream are off the menu. Also wrong, provided they're not made with raw eggs - these carry a risk of salmonella infection, which can be nasty in pregnancy.

Early pregnancy bleeding needs strict bed-rest. A "threatened miscarriage" - light bleeding with no pain - is common and usually causes no harm. Resting in bed makes no difference to the chances of it developing into a "full" miscarriage.

You need to take supplements. True, you should take folic acid for the first 12 weeks - this reduces the risk of spina bifida. And vitamin D supplements of ten micrograms per day are recommended for those at risk of deficiency - that includes some ethnic minorities and those who don't eat much oily fish, egg, meat or cereal. Otherwise there's no need to pop vitamins. Some, including vitamin A, can even cause harm. Nor do you need to take an iron booster unless your doc or midwife say so.

You can start labour yourself. According to old wives' tales, a curry will do the trick. Or castor oil. Or sex. Or raspberry leaf tea. Trouble is, there's no good scientific evidence these work.

Swollen ankles are a sign of trouble. Actually, it's usually just harmless fluid retention. Rarely, it can be caused by the serious complication "pre-eclampsia" - your GP can check your blood pressure and urine to rule it out. But expect reassurance rather than a trip to hospital.

You should avoid sex during pregnancy. No: It causes the baby no harm at all and helps keep your relationship on an even keel.

Fish, coffee and peanuts are no-nos. Admittedly, you wouldn't want to mix them. But none are banned.

Coffee should be limited to two mugs a day. Higher doses of caffeine carry a small risk of miscarriage or having underweight babies.

The only fish to be avoided are shark, swordfish and marlin - and tuna binges. That's because they contain mercury, which can harm the baby's nervous system.

As for avoiding peanuts to cut the risk of allergy in your baby, the jury is out - though the current view is peanuts definitely aren't banned.

Sleeping on your back can hurt your baby. No - but you might find sleeping on your side more comfortable.

You can tell your baby's sex. Your morning sickness gives the game away. Or cravings. Or how you show. Or any one of a hundred other myths. All wrong. Or, to put it another way, right half the time.