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BirthNetwork National
BirthNetwork National is a consumer-based organization whose mission is to raise the awareness and availability of Mother-Friendly maternity care. They are birth advocates, many of whom are professionals, working together to improve pregnancy, birth and breastfeeding on a local and national level. BirthNetwork National continues to grow and thrive! The organization now has 42 active chapters across the country and 750 professional and birth advocate members. Chapters are busy providing programming to their communities with birth fairs featuring Ina May Gaskin, productions of “Birth” by Karen Brody, hosting breastfeeding tents at local events, film festivals, postcard campaigns, and more.
As always, chapters welcome participation from other organizations and individuals who are affiliated with the Coalition to Improve Maternity Services (CIMS). Many of our chapter leaders are seeking to strengthen their connections with hospital-based practitioners, midwives, and other birth-related activists in their communities. We encourage you to seek out the nearest BirthNetwork chapter.
Our bi-weekly Birth & Parenting News blog highlights the latest news items, research results, consumer alerts, and legislative action alerts of interest to expectant and new parents and the professionals who work them.
The Breastfeeding Task Force of Greater Los Angeles
The LA Breastfeeding Task Force provides important educational information to parents on their web page, Prior to Delivery. It includes handouts on hospital practices that interfere with breastfeeding and tips on how to confidently tell medical care providers that: they plan to breastfeed and want to put their baby to the breast right after birth; they will not give their baby a bottle or pacifier and they will not take formula home from the hospital. Parents can also link to a website to compare breastfeeding rates at hospitals in their area or to see their hospital’s maternity grade.
Our bi-weekly Birth & Parenting News blog highlights the latest news items, research results, consumer alerts, and legislative action alerts of interest to expectant and new parents and the professionals who work them.
Induction of Labor Slows Labor Progress in Latent Phase
Researchers at the University of Washington University Medical Center in St. Louis, Missouri have confirmed that induction of labor can make the early phase of labor (up to 4 cm dilation) longer for both nulliparous and multiparous women.
The normal length of the latent phase of labor for nulliparous women whose labor was induced averaged 5.5 hours compared to 3.8 hours for women who went into labor spontaneously. Induced labor for multiparous women in the early phase averaged 4.4 hours compared to 2.4 for women who went into labor spontaneously. It took significantly longer for induced women to progress 1 cm in the early phase. However, once women reached 6 cm of dilation, labor progressed at a similar pace for all women. This study also suggests that cesareans for “failure to progress” may be performed too early by providers who expect labor to progress at the same rate for both induced and non-induced women.
Induction of labor in the U.S. has been steadily rising. Many mothers today are induced for non-medical reasons. In 2008, nearly one million women had their labor induced. Nine out of ten mothers believe that scheduling birth before 39 weeks is perfectly safe despite the fact that studies have shown that early, non-medically indicated induced labors increase health risks for the baby and the likelihood of a cesarean for the mother. Mothers who wish to induce their labor for convenience may want to know that it can make their labor longer as well.
The study is published in the June 2012 issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology. Check out our free webinar on Benefits, Risks & Alternatives to Induction of Labor: What does the Evidence Say? at Michigan Doula Connection (taking the pre- and post-tests for this webinar helps fund our community-based volunteer doula program!)
Our bi-weekly Birth & Parenting News blog highlights the latest news items, research results, consumer alerts, and legislative action alerts of interest to expectant and new parents and the professionals who work them.
Study: Vaginal Deliveries as Safe as C-Sections for Most Preterm Births
For babies who are born very prematurely, vaginal deliveries are as safe as C-sections as long as the infants are in the head-first position in the womb, a new study indicates. The same does not hold true for babies in the breech position who are delivered at less than 32 weeks gestation. Researchers found these infants had a significantly lower risk of death when they were delivered during a planned C-section. The study was published in the current issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
Our bi-weekly Birth & Parenting News blog highlights the latest news items, research results, consumer alerts, and legislative action alerts of interest to expectant and new parents and the professionals who work them.
Bumpo Seat Recall
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has recalled Bumbo Baby Seats due to a potential fall hazard. About four million seats are being recalled, following reports that babies can maneuver out of or fall from the seat, posing a risk of serious injuries. One million Bumbo seats were voluntarily recalled in 2007 to provide additional warnings against their use on raised surfaces. CPSC and Bumbo International know of at least 50 incidents after the October 2007 voluntary recall in which babies fell from a Bumbo seat while it was being used on a raised surface. Nineteen of those incidents included reports of skull fractures. CPSC and Bumbo International are also aware of an additional 34 post-recall reports of infants who fell out or maneuvered out of a Bumbo seat used on the floor or at an unknown elevation, resulting ininjury. Two of these incidents involved reports of skull fractures, while others reported bumps, bruises and other minor injuries.
The seats were sold at retailers including Sears, Target, Toys R Us (including Babies R Us), USA Babies, and Walmart from August 2003 through August 2012 for between $30 and $50. Consumers are advised to immediately stop using the seat until they order and install a free repair kit, which includes a restraint belt with a warning label, installation instructions, safe use instructions and a new warning sticker. Order the free repair. For more information, go to the CPSC website.
Our bi-weekly Birth & Parenting News blog highlights the latest news items, research results, consumer alerts, and legislative action alerts of interest to expectant and new parents and the professionals who work them.