REAL WORLD EVENT DISCUSSIONS

Preconception Healthcare

POSTED BY: SASSALICIOUS
UPDATED: Friday, May 19, 2006 13:37
SHORT URL:
VIEWED: 1167
PAGE 1 of 1

Wednesday, May 17, 2006 6:14 PM

SASSALICIOUS


Quote:

Forever Pregnant
Guidelines: Treat Nearly All Women as Pre-Pregnant

By January W. Payne
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, May 16, 2006; HE01

New federal guidelines ask all females capable of conceiving a baby to treat themselves -- and to be treated by the health care system -- as pre-pregnant, regardless of whether they plan to get pregnant anytime soon.

Among other things, this means all women between first menstrual period and menopause should take folic acid supplements, refrain from smoking, maintain a healthy weight and keep chronic conditions such as asthma and diabetes under control.

While most of these recommendations are well known to women who are pregnant or seeking to get pregnant, experts say it's important that women follow this advice throughout their reproductive lives, because about half of pregnancies are unplanned and so much damage can be done to a fetus between conception and the time the pregnancy is confirmed.

The recommendations aim to "increase public awareness of the importance of preconception health" and emphasize the "importance of managing risk factors prior to pregnancy," said Samuel Posner, co-author of the guidelines and associate director for science in the division of reproductive health at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which issued the report.

Other groups involved include the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the March of Dimes, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention's Division of Reproductive Health and the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities.

The idea of preconception care has been discussed for nearly 20 years, experts said, but it has drawn more attention recently. Progress toward further reducing the rate of unhealthy pregnancy results, including premature birth, low birthweight and infant mortality, has slowed in the United States since 1996 "in part because of inconsistent delivery and implementation of interventions before pregnancy to detect, treat and help women modify behaviors, health conditions and risk factors that contribute to adverse maternal and infant outcomes," according to the report.

Nearly 28,000 U.S. infants died in 2003, according to the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). The infant mortality rate increased in 2002 for the first time in more than 40 years to seven deaths per 1,000 live births, but it did not change significantly in 2003. Birth defects, low birthweight and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) were the leading causes of infant death in 2003, according to NCHS.

The U.S. infant mortality rate is higher than those of most other industrialized nations -- it's three times that of Japan and 2.5 times those of Norway, Finland and Iceland, according to a report released last week by Save the Children, an advocacy group.

Preconception care should be delivered by any doctor a patient sees -- from her primary care physician to her gynecologist. It involves developing a "reproductive health plan" that details if and when children are planned, said Janis Biermann, a report co-author and vice president for education and health promotion at the March of Dimes.

"The recommendations say we need to be opportunistic," or deliver care and counseling when opportunities arise, said Merry-K. Moos, a professor in the University of North Carolina's maternal fetal medicine division who sat on the CDC advisory panel. "Healthier women have healthier pregnancies."

Women should also make sure all vaccinations are up-to-date and avoid contact with lead-based paints and cat feces, Biermann said.

The report recommends that women stop smoking and discuss with their doctor the danger alcohol poses to a developing fetus.

Research shows that "during the first few weeks (before 52 days' gestation) of pregnancy" -- during which a woman may not yet realize she's pregnant -- "exposure to alcohol, tobacco and other drugs; lack of essential vitamins (e.g., folic acid); and workplace hazards can adversely affect fetal development and result in pregnancy complications and poor outcomes for both the mother and the infant," the report states.

The CDC report also discusses disparities in care, noting that approximately 17 million women lack health insurance and are likely to postpone or forgo care. These disparities are more prominent among minority groups and those of lower socioeconomic status, the report states.

The NCHS data also reflect these disparities. Babies born to black mothers, for example, had the highest rate of infant death -- 13.5 per 1,000 live births. Infants born to white women had a death rate of 5.7 per 1,000.

Obstacles to preconception care include getting insurance companies to pay for visits and putting the concept into regular use by doctors and patients. Experts acknowledge that women with no plans to get pregnant in the near future may resist preconception care.

"We know that women -- unless you're actively planning [a pregnancy], . . . she doesn't want to talk about it," Biermann said. So clinicians must find a "way to do this and not scare women," by promoting preconception care as part of standard women's health care, she said.

Some medical facilities have already found a way to weave preconception care in with regular visits. At Montefiore Medical Center in Bronx, N.Y., a form that's filled out when checking a patient's height, weight and blood pressure prompts nurses to ask women, "Do you smoke, and do you plan to become pregnant in the next year? And if not, what birth control are you using?"

"It's a simple way of getting primary care providers to think about preconception care," said Peter Bernstein, a maternal fetal medicine specialist who sat on the advisory committee that helped produce the report. "It's simple and [it] costs nothing."



from: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/15/AR2006
051500875_pf.html


So the impression I'm getting from these guidelines is that women are breeders and nothing more. We should live our lives as if a baby is just around the corner. It's as if I don't have anything better to do than ponder the potential existence of a non-existant child. According to these guidelines, all women between first menstural period and menopause should follow them. That means some girls as young as 8 should be planning for the day they get pregnant.

This is ridiculous. If I want to drink myself into oblivion every night, I'm going to. If I want to maintain a lower than healthy weight, I'm going to. I don't want to take an extra pill in the morning, so I'm not going to get folic acid supplements. Avoid contact with lead based paint? I'm sorry my apartment is in an old house that has lead paint. I'm not licking it, but yes I have contact with it. Am I going to move? No. Should I have to move? No.

Of course, the report suggests that insurance companies pay for the visits for preconception checkups; however, these same insurance companies are the ones that barely cover birth control, but cover viagra.

And why are women the only ones expected to have preconception health checkups and rituals? I realize that we unfortunately have to carry the unborn, but guys can do things to ruin their reproductive potential as well.

I don't think these "guidelines" are actually enforceable, but it's just frustrating to me. LET WOMEN DO WITH THEIR BODIES AS THEY PLEASE!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I am on The List. We are The Forsaken and we aim to burn!
"We don't fear the reaper"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Thursday, May 18, 2006 6:36 PM

FUTUREMRSFILLION


"~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I am on The List. We are The Forsaken and we aim to burn!
"We don't fear the reaper"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"

Ok so you know I am so going to steal this right?


I think they would be able to help the infant mortality in this country if they attacked the lack of healtcare for poor people. This looks like it is going to help those with healthcare - and they are the ones that need help.


NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Thursday, May 18, 2006 7:39 PM

SASSALICIOUS


You can steal it, if you want. Afterall, you came up with the slogan.

I know. "Have insurance pay for it" doesn't work when one doesn't have insurance. It's also kind of expensive to eat healthy, in terms of both time and money.

I love that it doesn't address the rampant and hard to avoid pollution that plagues the country. Fish are great for pregnant women, but fish are full of toxic chemicals. It's called bio-accumulation. And workplace hazards? The only way to avoid that would be to not work or get another job, which isn't necessarily an option.

Of course, that leads me to another rant about mountaintop blasting coal mining, but that's for another time.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I am on The List. We are The Forsaken and we aim to burn!
"We don't fear the reaper"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Thursday, May 18, 2006 10:42 PM

CITIZEN


As prophesised it is the time of Satan, where women believe they have equal rights as men!

Where they believe they have the right to work!

If God had wanted Women to work HE wouldn't have given them smaller Brains!

Women know your limits!

Well, if you can't beat the Fundamentalist nut jobs might as well join 'em. I think Bush and I see eye to eye on that one...




More insane ramblings by the people who brought you beeeer milkshakes!
And as you know, these are open forums, you're able to come and listen to what I have to say.

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Thursday, May 18, 2006 11:16 PM

STDOUBT


Funny in a really scary way, citizen.

Nothing makes me sicker than the way women
are abused in this world. Except the women
than put up with it. The way men the world
over abuse and torture them in the name of
religion. Put on nail polish in some places
and you get your nails pulled off with a pair
of pliers. People who do that ain't men.
They are animals who need putting down.
Whether it's "Christian" males forcing women
to bear ungodly numbers of children, or "Muslim"
men stoning their wives or sisters for showing
too much ankle, they need a bullet in their heads.

Just had to pipe up here. Say it once. When it
comes to womens bodies and health, men don't get an opinion.
GOD gave it to woman to bear children. IMO, even if you're the father of an unborn, you have no right over her other than to defend her decisions. Don't like her decisions? You got the wrong gal pregnant.

EDIT: "Universal Healthcare for all US citizens?
Don't be silly! That's just for every OTHER
civilized country!"

NOTIFY: N   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Friday, May 19, 2006 4:17 AM

HERO


Quote:

Originally posted by Sassalicious:
And why are women the only ones expected to have preconception health checkups and rituals? I realize that we unfortunately have to carry the unborn, but guys can do things to ruin their reproductive potential as well.


Yeah, like getting married...

H

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Friday, May 19, 2006 6:42 AM

FUTUREMRSFILLION


Well Hero you could remove yourself from the marital and procreative pool.

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Friday, May 19, 2006 6:51 AM

HERO


Quote:

Originally posted by FutureMrsFIllion:
Well Hero you could remove yourself from the marital and procreative pool.


Its like a minefield. For some reason, all the women I want to have sex seem to desire some sort of commitment prior to the act. Some want a ring, some want the promise of the ring, some want the promise of some potential promise some undetermined time in the future, or twenty bucks. Only a few have been so drunk as to make the promise, the ring, or the twenty bucks unneccesary.

And the baby thing...

H

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Friday, May 19, 2006 7:32 AM

SIGNYM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.


Quote:

For some reason, all the women I want to have sex seem to desire some sort of commitment prior to the act.
Commitment? From YOU???? {shudder!} Wow, they must have been drunk to see you as a potential mate!

Sorry Hero, I just couldn't resist. The door was wide open and I just had to walk thru... but I take it all back!


As far as the original article goes... I agree that it's incredibly biased. It makes me think of "The Handmaids Tale". Although they "discussed" the disparity of health care, they didn't recommend that the disparity be corrected, and everything that "should" be done is put on to individual women. That's a step- admittedly a small one but a step nonetheless- towards criminalizing behavior for women but not for men.


---------------------------------
Don't piss in my face and tell me it's raining.

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Friday, May 19, 2006 9:14 AM

STDOUBT


"A Handmaids Tale"

Excellent book!

NOTIFY: N   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Friday, May 19, 2006 1:37 PM

RUE

I have a vote and I'm not afraid to use it!


FutureMrsFIllion,

Unfortunately, Hero hasn't made a serious committment to winning the Darwin Award.

OK - I take it back as well. I just couldn't resist.


Yeah, I agree about the article AND the Handmaid's Tale.

Third world countries don't have these Stalinist proscriptions and their infant mortality rate is better than the US. Why?? They provide vitamins, checkups (for weight, BP, diabetes, proteinuria and other basic indicators) nutrition advice, advice to give up alcohol and drugs, and breastfeeding and infant nutrition classes AFTER a woman finds she's pregnant. And they provide midwives to all. These BASIC SIMPLE HELPFUL efforts FREE TO WOMEN are all that are needed.


Nearly everything I know I learned by the grace of others.

NOTIFY: N   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

YOUR OPTIONS

NEW POSTS TODAY

USERPOST DATE

OTHER TOPICS

DISCUSSIONS
In the garden, and RAIN!!! (2)
Fri, March 29, 2024 02:54 - 3414 posts
BUILD BACK BETTER!
Fri, March 29, 2024 02:49 - 11 posts
Russia says 60 dead, 145 injured in concert hall raid; Islamic State group claims responsibility
Fri, March 29, 2024 00:45 - 56 posts
Elections; 2024
Fri, March 29, 2024 00:33 - 2075 posts
Long List of Celebrities that are Still Here
Fri, March 29, 2024 00:00 - 1 posts
China
Thu, March 28, 2024 22:10 - 447 posts
Biden
Thu, March 28, 2024 22:03 - 853 posts
Russia Invades Ukraine. Again
Thu, March 28, 2024 17:20 - 6155 posts
Well... He was no longer useful to the DNC or the Ukraine Money Laundering Scheme... So justice was served
Thu, March 28, 2024 12:44 - 1 posts
Salon: NBC's Ronna blunder: A failed attempt to appeal to MAGA voters — except they hate her too
Thu, March 28, 2024 07:04 - 1 posts
Russian losses in Ukraine
Wed, March 27, 2024 23:21 - 987 posts
human actions, global climate change, global human solutions
Wed, March 27, 2024 15:03 - 824 posts

FFF.NET SOCIAL