5 ways pitocin is different than oxytocin

Source:About Pregnancy & Childbirth
The numbers of inductions of labor using artificial means like Pitocin and other medications has gone up dramatically in the last few years. A hospital in my area says that 90 of the women have their labors induced. Since science shows us that inducing labor can increase the numbers of complications in the labor and with the baby, you might be surprised to note that many of the inductions are not for medical reasons, but rather reasons of convenience, practitioner or mother, known as social induction.
One of the things that women tell me is that they are lead to believe that induction is completely safe and relatively easy, after all, Pitocin is just another form of the body's own oxytocin, right?
While this statement is generally true, artificially created hormones, including Pitocin do not act identically to the hormones in ones body. For example, in pregnancy both the mother and the baby produce oxytocin. The oxytocin produced by each reacts differently in the body because they each have separate jobs.
Here are five things that you may not know about Pitocin and how it can effect your labor:

Why Is Average IQ Higher in Some Places?

Source: Scientific American

Being smart is the most expensive thing we do. Not in terms of money, but in a currency that is vital to all living things: energy.  One study found that newborn humans spend close to 90 percent of their calories on building and running their brains. (Even as adults, our brains consume as much as a quarter of our energy.) If, during childhood, when the brain is being built, some unexpected energy cost comes along, the brain will suffer. Infectious disease is a factor that may rob large amounts of energy away from a developing brain. This was our hypothesis, anyway, when my colleagues, Corey Fincher and Randy Thornhill, and I published a paper on the global diversity of human intelligence.

A great deal of research has shown that average IQ varies around the world, both across nations and within them. The cause of this variation has been of great interest to scientists for many years. At the heart of this debate is whether these differences are due to genetics, environment or both.

Hospital staff quizzed over deaths of women after giving birth

Source: Arab News

By ARAB NEWS

Published: Sep 15, 2011 23:36 Updated: Sep 15, 2011 23:36

JEDDAH: A five-member panel set up by Health Minister Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah is questioning 16 doctors, nurses and technicians at a government maternity and children’s hospital in Jeddah for allegedly causing the deaths of two Saudi women soon after they gave birth.

Relatives of the two women accused the hospital staff of negligence and urged authorities to take action against them. According to informed sources, one woman died because she was prescribed the wrong medicine while the other due to a blood infection.

Hospital authorities had handed over the women’s bodies to their relatives without informing them of the real reasons for their deaths. Foreign doctors involved in the case have been banned from traveling abroad until investigations are completed.

Majed Al-Sulami, husband of one victim, said the death of his wife, who is mother of two girls, has turned his life upside down. “I took her to hospital last month when she had labor pains and doctors told me that she would have a natural delivery. After a few hours they gave me the good news that a baby boy had been born. Half an hour later, they asked me to sign a paper authorizing an emergency surgery to remove her uterus because of internal bleeding,” he said. But her condition went from bad to worse after the operation.

Spot the fake smile!

Source: BBC

Test your self taking Spot the fake smile test. Can you say genuine smile from the fake one? Complete the test consisting of 20 guesses and  see your results!

Most people are surprisingly bad at spotting fake smiles. One possible explanation for this is that it may be easier for people to get along if they don't always know what others are really feeling.

Although fake smiles often look very similar to genuine smiles, they are actually slightly different, because they are brought about by different muscles, which are controlled by different parts of the brain.

Fake smiles can be performed at will, because the brain signals that create them come from the conscious part of the brain and prompt the zygomaticus major muscles in the cheeks to contract. These are the muscles that pull the corners of the mouth outwards.

Why men's ring fingers are longer than their index fingers

Source: Breaking Science News

Biologists at the University of Florida have found a reason why men's ring fingers are generally longer than their index fingers — and why the reverse usually holds true for women.

The finding could help medical professionals understand the origin of behavior and disease, which may be useful for customizing treatments or assessing risks in context with specific medical conditions.

Writing this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, developmental biologists Martin Cohn, Ph.D., and Zhengui Zheng, Ph.D., of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the department of molecular genetics and microbiology at the UF College of Medicine, show that male and female digit proportions are determined by the balance of sex hormones during early embryonic development. Differences in how these hormones activate receptors in males and females affect the growth of specific digits.

The discovery provides a genetic explanation for a raft of studies that link finger proportions with traits ranging from sperm counts, aggression, musical ability, sexual orientation and sports prowess, to health problems such as autism, depression, heart attack and breast cancer.

Risks of Formula Feeding Your Baby

Source: Breastfeed.com

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The Case of the Virgin Gut

By Ann Calandro, RNC, IBCLC

I have been a mother for 26 years. When my first daughter was born, I knew little about breastfeeding except that I wanted to “try” to be successful. I knew it was best. I planned on nursing for six weeks to give her a good start.

She was born in Riverview Hospital in New Jersey in 1976. I waited impatiently to be allowed to see her every four hours for nursing. She arrived in my room with a little bottle of glucose water on board in her crib. The nurses encouraged me to fill her up with sugar water after each nursing, because my milk was not enough. Between nursings, she received formula in the nursery, because she was hungry and the hospital would only bring her out at certain times. During visiting hours, no babies came out.

Proposal To Build 3 Hospitals For Expats Residing In Kuwait Govt To Present New Health Insurance Draft

Source: Arab Times

KUWAIT CITY, Aug 10: The government will soon present a new health insurance draft bill to improve medical services in the country, reports Al-Watan Arabic daily quoting informed sources.

Sources disclosed the government will submit the bill to the National Assembly in the next legislative round for review and approval. Sources explained the proposal is aimed at regulating treatment procedures in private hospitals abroad or in Kuwait. Sources said the government will pay installments of the proposed health insurance through the establishment of joint stock companies, in which 50 percent of the shares will be offered to the citizens and the remaining portion to specialized local and foreign corporations. Sources added the joint stock companies will construct hospitals, hire medical experts and purchase the necessary equipment to better serve the citizens.

Sources confirmed the proposal includes a social insurance scheme for expatriates, in addition to the construction of three hospitals exclusive for foreigners residing in Kuwait. Sources said these hospitals will be established in Jahra, Farwaniya and Ahmadi. Sources clarified the bill also states that the existing public hospitals will serve only the Kuwaitis and citizens of other Gulf countries upon completion of the hospitals for expatriates.

International MotherBaby Childbirth Organization Newsletter - July 2011

Source: International MotherBaby Organization

Dear Friends of IMBCO,  March 8th marked the annual International Women's Day, celebrating the incredible achievements, past, present and future, of women all over the world.  Additionally, the global celebration on May 15th  highlighted the importance of family on the International Day of Families.  At IMBCO, we are working hard to improve the lives of women and families and we have made significant progress over the last few months.  We are so excited to report the news to our invaluable supporters and sponsors.  Highlighted in this issue you will find the opening of the first freestanding birth center in Uruguay, changes to the medical curriculum in Brazil, hope for greater women's rights in Israel, and exciting news from India, Slovenia, Australia, Cameroon, Bangladesh, Mexico, and the United Kingdom.   Thank you to all of our Country Representatives for your contributions to moving IMBCO's goals  forward, and to you for helping to make these accomplishments possible! Most sincerely, IMBCO www.imbci.org

Examples of Vertical Birthing In Austria and Canada:

Birth Chair - Community Hospital Feldbach, Feldbach, Austria. Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Birth Stool - Pavillon des Naissances, Hôpital Brome Missisquoi Perkins, Cowansville, Centre de Santé et Services Sociaux La Pommeraie, in Quebec Canada Squat Bar - Same Canadian facility with Dr. Rodolfo Gomez demonstrating the squat bar!

Miracle of baby boy born full term despite his mother's waters breaking at just 16 WEEKS

Source: Daily Mail UK

By ANDREW LEVY

Last updated at 12:19 AM on 9th August 2011

When Laura Hill’s waters broke after only 16 weeks of pregnancy, doctors advised her to seek a termination.

Not only was her own health at risk but the baby had only a one per cent chance of survival. Even then he would probably have devastating problems such as brain damage.

But certain she had already felt his first kicks, Miss Hill defied the doctors’ advice.

Thrilled: Laura Hill's son Charlie was born on her own birthday. He had been given a one per cent chance of survival

‘I said one per cent is still a chance he could live and I didn’t want to give up on my baby,’ she said.

She gave birth to Charlie after a pregnancy that almost lasted a full term, and five months later he is in perfect health. ‘I was determined to hold on to him,’ said Miss Hill, 20, from Norwich. ‘I just wanted to keep him safe.’

Celebrate Solutions: Integrating Family Planning and Fuel Efficiency for Better Health, Environment

Source: Women Deliver

August 15th, 2011

By Rati Bishnoi, Special Projects Intern at Women Deliver

Rukia Seif holds an unusual place in her community.

In addition, to being a mother of three, Seif is a population, health, and environment (PHE) peer educator in her Tanzanian village on the outskirts of Saadani National Park.

In the role, Seif meets and talks to people in her village daily about simple solutions for improving their health and protecting the natural resources they depend upon. Two of these solutions include promoting fuel-efficient cooking stoves and family planning.

She tells her neighbors how mud stoves use less fuel than earlier models and help conserve forests for the future. Even though it is illegal, villagers cut wood for fuel to be used in more energy-reliant stoves. As a result, the neighboring forests are being depleted, smoke from stoves is worsening air quality, and unsustainable pressure is being placed on the very resources that provide Seif and her community food and livelihood.

Seif also talks to villages about modern contraceptive methods, focusing particularly on women who have closely-spaced pregnancies. Large family sizes which are caused by a high unmet need for family planning not only endanger the overall health of the family and mothers but also exacerbate the pressure on natural resources. 

Maternity guru Sheila Kitzinger says 'fairytale' expectations of childbirth end with dashed hopes for women

Source: Telegraph UK

New mothers are often consumed by guilt because they did not experience a "fairytale" version of childbirth, one of Britain's leading maternity experts has warned.

By Laura Donnelly, Health Correspondent

9:00PM GMT 14 Nov 2009

Comment

Sheila Kitzinger, the pioneer of the natural birth movement, says heavy marketing of a "perfect birth" has left countless women feeling like failures when their own experiences fall short of expectations.

The veteran author and social anthropologist said that, despite NHS policies claiming to offer women choice over how they gave birth, expectant mothers were increasingly being "emotionally blackmailed" into agreeing to medical interventions they did not want.

Others who underwent a natural delivery were also left feeling inadequate – because false expectations set by "consumer-driven marketing" meant new mothers were more likely to blame themselves if they suffered a poor birth experience.

Mrs Kitzinger, 80, a campaigner for natural births, who still works as a lecturer in midwifery, feels she must speak out now because of the growing pressure on women.

Jessica Alba: I Recommend "Hypnobirthing Classes"

Source: U.S. Magazine

The 30-year-old actress recommends "hypnobirthing classes" -- which are increasingly popular among pregnant women. Hypnobirthing involves the use of hypnosis during childbirth.

"It's different for everyone, although I do recommend the hypnobirthing classes," Alba told Us Weekly on Monday at the RIMOWA store opening in Beverly Hills. "I highly recommend it. It just makes you chill

The actress wasn't quite so "chill" before the birth of daughter Honor Marie, 2: "I was freaked out going into it my first time going into labor. Like what if I panic? What if I just freak out and I don't know what to do?"

So is the second pregnancy easier for Alba? "Oh yeah! But a little bit harder on the body because my daughter still wants to be picked up. Ever since my belly popped, she really is on me!"

You can check more about hypnobirthing in Kuwait here. 

New Moms Who Express Milk by Hand Breastfeed Longer, UCSF Study Finds

Source:
Juliana Bunim
juliana.bunim@ucsf.edu
415-502-6397

July 19, 2011

Dawn Reidy, coordinator of Lactation Services, right, visits with parents Anders and Aimee Persson and their newborn son Leonard at UCSF Medical Center.

New mothers who practice expressing their breast milk by hand during the first days following their child’s birth are more likely to still be nursing two months later than mothers who use an electric breast pump, according to findings from a new study led by researchers at UCSF.

The randomized trial, which focused on healthy, full-term newborns having trouble nursing, is the first to compare how the two methods of milk collection affect future breastfeeding.

“Until now, we didn’t know which technique was preferable in the early postpartum period. This study provides the first evidence in favor of hand expression,” said lead author Valerie Flaherman, MD, MPH, an assistant professor of pediatrics at UCSF and pediatrician at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital. “Based on our findings, clinicians should consider recommending hand expression to new moms whose babies are feeding poorly.”

Study findings are published online by the journal Archives of Disease in Childhood, and will appear in an upcoming print issue of the journal.

Breastfeeding is known to offer wide-ranging preventive health benefits for babies, reducing their risk for infections and chronic diseases including diabetes, asthma and obesity, and providing the perfect balance of nutrients to help infants grow into strong and healthy toddlers. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that women who do not have health problems exclusively breastfeed for the first six months of life to give maximum benefits to their child.

Mothers Deserve Options

Huffington Post`s Ricki Lake  is asking questions about birthing culture in USA

I made my 2008 documentary The Business of Being Born to educate women about choices in childbirth, and raise questions about maternity care in the U.S. For example, why were C-section rates skyrocketing? Why were options such as birth centers and home birth disappearing? And why does a country supposedly committed to health care reform seem opposed to safe, cost-effective options that include midwifery and well-woman care?

The impact of the documentary was monumental. The blogosphere blew up (I can handle a few people yelling at me if it means my message is being heard!) Every day women stop me on the street to share stories of their safe, successful, meaningful births. Many say they felt "in the dark" about their options until seeing The Business of Being Born. But unfortunately, due to the highly medicalized climate of hospital births and the financial interests of insurance and drug companies, our birth options are disappearing at an alarming rate. It's seems that the more we know, the fewer choices we have. In the last five years, New York City alone has witnessed the shuttering of its only freestanding birth center, two hospital-based birth centers, a popular childbirth education center and a major hospital that offered privileges to a large number of hospital midwifery practices and home birth midwives. This has left many parents-to-be struggling to find birth options outside of the traditional OB/GYN approach.

NEWS RELEASE Global partners stand behind global standards for midwifery

ICM International Confederation of Midwives~s press release:

On the last day of the International Confederation of Midwives Triennial Congress in Durban, South Africa, global agencies have expressed their commitment to work with each other and with ICM to tackle maternal mortality. The UN Population Fund, World Health Organization (WHO), the Swedish International Development Agency (Sida) and the International Federation of Gynaecologists and Obstetricians (FIGO) have each pledged to support the implementation of ICM’s landmark global standards for midwifery education and regulation as a core strategy to tackle maternal mortality worldwide. Around 350,000 women die each year as a result of preventable complications in pregnancy and childbirth. 99% of these deaths happen in low income countries, many of which are in sub-Saharan Africa. Millennium Development Goal 5 commits countries to delivering significant improvements to maternal health worldwide but has been the slowest moving of all the MDGs so far.

 ‘Evidence shows that access to competent, educated and strong midwives significantly reduces maternal and infant mortality.’ said Bridget Lynch, President.  ‘ICM set out on the Road to Durban three years ago, committed to reaching our destination with the tools needed to help governments around the world tackle unacceptable rates of maternal and infant mortality. Since then, we have worked with midwives of the world and our global partners to make sure we arrived with these tools in our hands. I am proud to say that we are now the first health profession in the world to have achieved global standards for the competency, education and regulation of our workforce. These, alongside the information provided by the UNFPA’s State of the World Midwifery Report will be essential to the achievement of each countries maternal mortality target.’

UN spotlights role of midwives in improving maternal and children’s health

Source: UN News Centre 
17 June 2011 – 

The United Nations is set to unveil a report highlighting the vital work of midwives in ensuring that millions of women and newborn children do not die needlessly at a time when many countries still lack enough skilled staff to serve as birth attendants.The report, The State of the World’s Midwifery 2011: delivering health, saving lives, is the first of its kind and draws on data gathered from 58 countries.
Co-authored by several UN agencies – including the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) – and more than 20 international partners, it will be released on Monday at a global conference of midwives taking place in Durban, South Africa.
The report will examine the progress made so far on boosting the numbers of midwives, which are particularly critical to the achievement of two Millennium Development Goals (MDGs): boosting maternal health, and reducing child mortality.

Home birth is on the rise. But is it safe? (US Consumer Report)

Source: Consumer Report US , May 26, 2011.

Less than one percent of babies in the U.S. are born at home. But after years of decline, home births are on the rise. Between 2004 and 2008, the rate of home births increased by 20 percent, according to a study published online May 20 in the journal Birth. Why? Maybe alienation with hospital care—where around a third of babies were delivered by Cesarean section in 2007—has some women wanting more control over what they consider a normal, natural experience. They want, in a sense, to stay home to stay safe. But are they right? Is home birth safe?

While the question is a polarizing one, at least in this country, several professional organizations say it can be for low-risk pregnancies if necessary precautions are taken. That includes the World Health Organization, the American Public Health Association, the National Perinatal Association, and the American College of Nurse-Midwives.

The way you relate to your partner can affect your long-term mental and physical health, study shows

Source: Medicalxpress

The potentially lasting implications of day-to-day couple conflict on physical and mental well-being are revealed in a study published today in the journal Personal Relationships.

Until now research has concentrated on the immediate effects of romantic conflict, typically in controlled laboratory settings. In one of the first studies to look at the longer term, Professor Angela Hicks investigated the physiological and emotional changes taking place in couples the day after conflict occurred, specifically taking into account the differing styles of emotional attachmentbetween participating partners.

"We are interested in understanding links between romantic relationships and long term emotional and physical well-being", said Professor Hicks. "Our findings provide a powerful demonstration of how daily interpersonal dealings affect mood and physiology across time."