Posts tagged ‘pregnancymiracle.com’
What is Planned Parenthood?
Planned Parenthood is the world’s largest birth control enterprise and the most vocal proponent of legal abortion. The Planned Parenthood Federation of America Inc. (PPFA) is the founding member of the London, England-based International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF). PPFA is an affiliate of IPPF.
The Planned Parenthood Federation of America describes itself as “the nation’s leading sexual and reproductive health care provider and advocate . . .” According to Planned Parenthood “everyone has the right to choose when or whether to have a child . . .” It wants laws guaranteeing “reproductive freedom,” including unlimited birth control and abortion for everyone, regardless of age.
Who founded Planned Parenthood?
Planned Parenthood was founded in 1916 by eugenics advocate Margaret Higgins Sanger. She saw birth control as the key to limiting the numbers of people she considered inferior. Sanger wanted to protect the rights and power of those she believed to be of an elite superior breed as they would be needed to rule over “the hordes of irresponsibility and imbecility.”
Sanger favored “a stern and rigid policy of sterilization and segregation” against anyone “whose progeny is already tainted or whose inheritance is such that objectionable traits may be transmitted to offspring.” An editorial in Birth Control Review, a publication Sanger founded, summarized her goal: “More children from the fit, less from the unfit — that is the chief issue in Birth Control.”
Sanger said the Eugenics Movement could not succeed without birth control, which she described as “the facilitation of the process of weeding out the unfit, of preventing the birth of defectives or of those who will become defectives.” In fact, she said the core reason behind birth control and eugenics is “practically identical.”
Sanger primarily sought to control the reproduction of immigrants, the poor, certain religious groups, and anyone else she thought was from an “unacceptable” heritage. Sanger referred to such people as reckless breeders who were “unceasingly spawning a class of human beings who never should have been born at all . . .”
Today’s Planned Parenthood “proudly carries on the courageous tradition of Margaret Sanger . . .” Planned Parenthood still hails Sanger as a “20th Century Hero” and claims she “changed the world . . . for the better.”
Does Planned Parenthood do abortions?
Planned Parenthood commits more abortions than any other single entity in the United States. Affiliates not yet committing “surgical” abortions onsite must refer to abortionists elsewhere. In late 2010 PPFA announced that it will soon require every affiliate to commit “surgical” abortions.
In a newsletter distributed to its abortionists, Planned Parenthood wrote, “We see abortion as a necessary, desirable service and as an integral piece of comprehensive reproductive health care services.”
Planned Parenthood opposes all laws that protect preborn human beings, including bans on late-term abortions and those done for “birth control,” “convenience,” and sex selection, as well as other proposals that have widespread public support. At the same time, Planned Parenthood claims its views are in sync with those of the vast majority of Americans.
Planned Parenthood admits to “surgically” killing 329,445 preborn human beings in 2010 alone (down less than one percent from 2009 — the first time in 16 years that the number dropped; up nearly 1.7 percent from 2008), generating an estimated $135 million. Only 841 customers were referred to adoption agencies (down 13.9 percent from 2009; down a whopping 65 percent from 2008).
Planned Parenthood claims it prevents the “need” for abortion while concurrently working to increase its share of the lucrative market. In 1984 Planned Parenthood committed almost 5 percent of all abortions in the United States. Today, Planned Parenthood is responsible for nearly 28 percent. Clearly, its programs create a demand for abortion. Planned Parenthood can prove its programs are used by the public, but not that they are successful.
All Planned Parenthood “clinics” sell “emergency” birth control. Many take orders for the deadly concoction online and/or by phone without requiring a physical examination. In 2010 Planned Parenthood sold 1,461,816 “emergency” birth control kits.
Birth control pills occasionally cause an abortion but “emergency” birth control usually does so. Yet Planned Parenthood claims neither can cause an abortion. In order to back this claim Planned Parenthood and its collaborators have resorted to verbal engineering.
A 1971 book endorsed by then-Planned Parenthood President Alan Guttmacher defined “pregnancy” as the “period between conception [fertilization of the ovum] and birth.” Yet Vanessa Cullins, Planned Parenthood’s vice president for medical affairs, has declared that pregnancy begins with “implantation of the developing fertilized egg . . . (emphasis added).” Similarly, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has dumped “pregnancy” in favor of “established pregnancy,” which it says occurs between 8 and 18 days after fertilization. This overt deception cannot change the indisputable truth, but it does allow Planned Parenthood to mislead customers.
Does Planned Parenthood respect parental rights?
Planned Parenthood believes children can make “responsible decisions” regarding sex, birth control and abortion. “As part of its ongoing advocacy to protect and enhance reproductive rights for all Americans,” Planned Parenthood began a campaign to “safeguard minors’ access to abortion.”
Planned Parenthood demands the “right” to commit an abortion on your minor child and/or give her birth control, even via invasive means (injections). It opposes all laws that would give rights to parents on such matters — even the right to be informed.
Just the title of one Planned Parenthood report makes clear how the group’s hierarchy feels about parents who interfere with their plans for your children. “Sexual and Reproductive Rights of Young People:
Autonomous Decision Making and Confidential Services” points out that “minors face specific barriers that do not affect the adult population, such as the cultural or social conditioning of their parents and their parents’ religious beliefs or expectations on what age children should become sexually active.” Planned Parenthood expresses deep concern that, “These types of beliefs and cultural mores may make it difficult for minors to seek services, as their parents may not give them money, may place controls on their time or explicitly prohibit them from doing so. This prevents them from receiving support and guidance . . .”
Clearly, Planned Parenthood’s philosophy is that parents who disagree with its agenda are putting children in danger. While the group stops short of calling for state control over childrearing, it does advocate mandatory attendance in “approved” sexuality education programs. Planned Parenthood has declared that “governments and societies must recognize the young as sexually active, and therefore ensure their sexual and reproductive rights through specific policies, laws, and programs.”
What is the relationship between a local Planned Parenthood and PPFA?
PPFA has 87 affiliates and 825 “health centers” in every state and Washington, D.C. Affiliates are required to maintain an active lobbying unit and must abide by PPFA standards, including fervent devotion to its philosophy and goals. Any suggestion that the objectives of an affiliate are even slightly dissimilar to those of its national office is flatly untrue.
Does Planned Parenthood support abstinence education?
Planned Parenthood’s First Things First program was designed to reduce by half the number of teens who get pregnant “and give birth.” Planned Parenthood wants to reduce teen pregnancy that results in childbirth; not sexual behavior that results in pregnancy. This may be accomplished through Planned Parenthood’s growing abortion business.
Planned Parenthood teaches there are no “rights” or “wrongs” with any sexual activity if there are no “victims.” It fervently opposes sex education that focuses on abstinence and has gone so far as to file lawsuits against school districts that have decided to implement such programs.
Planned Parenthood has published many articles and “reports” that assail abstinence education. Titles include: “Call for the Investigation of Harmful Abstinence-Only Programs,” “Abstinence- Only Sex Education? Not in My Backyard!” “Flaws of Global Abstinence-Until-Marriage Programs,” and “The Abstinence-Only Scam.”
In 2008 the Centers for Disease Control reported that nearly three million teenage girls were infected with a sexually transmitted disease. “How could this happen?” Planned Parenthood asked. “Planned Parenthood knows where to point the finger — not at young people, but at the $1.5 billion failure of a national sex education policy that promotes abstinence-only programs.” Yes, Planned Parenthood blames abstinence education — not teen sexual activity — for the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, even though the federal abstinence program gets less than ten percent of the funds “family planning” receives.
Nothing can put a damper on a rigid ideology better than a study done by an indisputably reputable source. The February 2010 edition of Archives of Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine included the results of the most comprehensive study ever conducted to measure the success rate of abstinence education programs. The Washington Post reported on the release of the study:
Over the next two years, about 33 percent of the students who went through the abstinence program started having sex, compared with about 52 percent who were taught only safe sex. About 42 percent of the students who went through the comprehensive program started having sex, and about 47 percent of those who learned about other ways to be healthy did. The abstinence program had no negative effects on condom use, which has been a major criticism of the abstinence approach.
Despite the findings of the study, Planned Parenthood continues to cling to and defend its lucrative but unsuccessful programs. (Abstinent teenagers do not become Planned Parenthood customers.) Interestingly, while raising a fist in opposition to the federal abstinence education program, Planned Parenthood quietly used its other hand to apply for some of the funds. (Needless-to-say, Planned Parenthood’s definition of “abstinence” is vastly different from that of most people.) Planned Parenthood essentially argues that any taxpayer funds not spent on its programs is wasted.
Planned Parenthood claims to offer “value-neutral” sex education, but for decades has demanded the implementation of its own brand of “comprehensive sex education,” which clearly reflects its “values.” Every year the problems Planned Parenthood claims to address get worse. And when the problems get worse, Planned Parenthood demands more money. The cycle never ends.
Is Planned Parenthood pro-woman?
Planned Parenthood claims to be pro-woman but opposes “women’s right to know” legislation. And despite dozens of studies showing a link between breast cancer and abortion, Planned Parenthood refuses to tell women about the research. “There is no truth to this at all,” PPFA’s vice president for medical affairs said of the link. “It is one of those nasty myths invented by anti-choice organizations to frighten women away from having an abortion.”
A “nasty myth” by “anti-choice” groups? One study was conducted for the National Cancer Institute by Dr. Janet R. Daling of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. “Among women who had been pregnant at least once, the risk of breast cancer in those who had experienced an induced abortion was 50% higher than among other women,” she said. “I would have loved to have found no association between breast cancer and abortion, but our research is rock solid, and our data is accurate. It’s not a matter of believing. It’s a matter of what is.” Daling supports legal abortion but opposes a self-serving “gag rule” that suppresses medical data and leads to patient ignorance. “If politics gets involved in science, it will really hold back the progress we make. I have three sisters with breast cancer, and I resent people messing with the scientific data to further their own agenda . . .”
In 2005, the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) publicly confirmed that combined estrogen-progestin oral birth control may cause cancer. IARC put the birth control method into the highest category of carcinogenicity, which is only used “when there is sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity in humans.” Yet Planned Parenthood has also withheld this information.
Have visits to Planned Parenthood “clinics” ever proven fatal?
Yes. While there have been several such cases, the most publicized incident occurred in 2003. In an effort to kill her preborn baby, Planned Parenthood gave mifepristone to Holly Patterson and told her to take misoprostol at home. Within four days she was taken to an emergency room due to bleeding and debilitating cramps. Holly returned to the hospital three days later, in pain and vomiting. She died shortly thereafter.
The Alameda County (Calif.) Coroner said fragments of the dead preborn baby left inside the uterus led to sepsis. The infection sent the 18-year-old into septic shock, which caused her untimely death. The State of California cited Planned Parenthood for not providing full information on the procedure for self-administration of the drugs. Details of only a handful of other cases involving serious complications have been released to the public.
What about reports tying Planned Parenthood to racism?
In 2007 a young man associated with The Advocate, a student publication at UCLA, called Planned Parenthood affiliates in seven states saying he wanted to make a donation. Several Planned Parenthood officials were eager to accept the money, but there was a catch. The donor said he wanted the money used only to kill black preborn babies.
A Planned Parenthood affiliate in Idaho expressed great joy and excitement over the gift, despite the fact that the donor was motivated by racism. The phone call was recorded:
Caller: Okay, so–so the abortion could — could be — you know — I could give money specifically for a black baby. That would–that would be the purpose.
Planned Parenthood: Yeah. Absolutely, um, if you wanted to designate that you wanted your gift to be used to help an African-American woman in need, um, then we would certainly, ah, make sure that that gift was earmarked specifically for that purpose.
Caller: Great, because I really face trouble with Affirmative Action and I don’t want my kids being disadvantaged, you know, against, um, black kids. I just had a baby. I wanna put it in his name . . . Planned Parenthood: Hmm. Hmm. Absolutely. That’s fantastic.
______________
Caller: . . . Great . . . he’s [going to be] trying to get into, into colleges and he’ll be applying, you know, and uh, and uh, he’s just, ah, we’re just really big, um, um, we’re really, he’s really faced troubles with Affirmative Action and, you know, we don’t, we just think, you know, the less, the less black kids out there the better.
Planned Parenthood: Understandable, understandable . . . You said you wanted to put it in your son’s name and you would like this designated specifically to assist [an] African-American woman who’s looking to terminate a pregnancy?
______________
Caller: Yeah . . . I wanna protect my son so he can get into college. Planned Parenthood: Alright, um; excuse my hesitation . . . this is the first time I’ve had a donor call and make this kind of request so I’m excited . . .
This should actually be of great surprise to no one because Planned Parenthood’s founder had implemented programs designed to destroy “unwanted” groups of people. In fact, according to a 2011 Planned Parenthood statement, “Sanger’s early efforts remain the hallmark of Planned Parenthood’s mission . . .” Planned Parenthood continues to use Sanger’s methods but now claims the programs will “help” people. Either Sanger was grossly mistaken or today’s Planned Parenthood is keeping a long held secret.
What about the undercover investigations at Planned Parenthood?
A California-based organization, Live Action, sent actors with hidden cameras to Planned Parenthood offices in several American cities. (The media and Planned Parenthood itself have made use of hidden cameras for many years, particularly at pregnancy help centers.)
In January 2011, two people entered a Planned Parenthood facility in New Jersey; one portraying a prostitute and the other her pimp. In the video, the clinic manager explains how the pair may get abortions, sexually transmitted disease testing, and birth control for their fellow sex workers without anybody finding out about their sex-trafficking ring. The manager tells the pimp to have his girls lie about their ages to avoid mandatory reporting laws. (Planned Parenthood would be required by law to report the matter to authorities if any of the girls is under the age of 15.)
The manager suggests that Planned Parenthood staff be given “as little information as possible,” which will make it is less likely that something will be said that triggers the need to file a report. The manager also tells the pimp that he can get less expensive birth control for his prostitutes at Planned Parenthood by having them claim to be students. “If they’re minors, put down that they’re students. Yeah, just kind of play along that they’re students — we want to make it look as legit as possible.” She even gives the prostitute advice on which sexual acts could be performed with “clients” right after getting an abortion.
Undercover work done in Virginia, New York and Washington, D.C. also showed Planned Parenthood staffers coaching the pimp and prostitute on how they can get services without exposing their child sex-trafficking operation. In fact, in New York the pimp was told he could claim to be the guardian of the minor who was working for him when she wanted to get birth control or an abortion.
In past years, Live Action undercover videos have shown Planned Parenthood officials covering up sexual abuse of a 13-year-old girl and suggesting that a 14-year-old girl lie to a judge about the age of her 31-year-old boyfriend when seeking a judicial bypass to circumvent the state parental consent law. In the latter case, the Planned Parenthood official counseled the girl to tell the judge her boyfriend is 17 years old in order to keep him from getting into trouble. Of course, doing so would also allow the sexual relationship to continue. (All undercover videos may be accessed at www.liveaction.org.)
What is Planned Parenthood’s budget?
Planned Parenthood’s income for Fiscal Year 2009-2010 was nearly $1.048 billion (down 4.8 percent from 2008-2009; up one percent from 2007-2008), with nearly 47 percent coming from taxpayers. For this “nonprofit” every fiscal year ends with millions of dollars in “excess revenue over expenses.” The “excess” for 2008-2009 alone was $63.4 million.
On June 30, 2010, Planned Parenthood’s net assets were $1.01 billion (up 1.5 percent from 2009) of which $397.8 million was unrestricted (in effect a savings account) and $141.7 million was temporarily restricted. Despite these sums, Planned Parenthood incessantly claims it needs more money.
Why haven’t we heard this before now?
Public ignorance of Planned Parenthood’s activities, goals and philosophy has long been its greatest ally. Yet it is clear that the greater the public education about Planned Parenthood, the far less enthusiasm there is for having the behemoth in a community.
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The state of Florida is asking thousands of young women some intimate questions their sex lives and is giving them a $10 gift card in return — but some who received the survey are offended.
The South Florida Sun Sentinel reported Sunday that the Department of Health sent surveys to 4,100 women between 18 and 24, giving participants a CVS gift card.
Officials say the survey will help them understand women’s need for and approach to family-planning services.
The state spent $45,000 on the 46-question survey, which was sent out in September and October, and 782 have been returned. Participants were asked how many men they had sex with over the last year and how they felt emotionally the last time they had unprotected sex. A November batch weren’t mailed after it was found that some of the surveys were sent to girls under 18.
“We obviously offered an apology sent back in writing and will work to ensure that moving forward, this never happens again,” state Surgeon General Dr. John Armstrong told the paper.
He added that participation is voluntary.
“If somebody sees something they don’t like, they can rip it up and throw it in the garbage can,” he said.
The state says the names of those surveyed will be kept private, but some who received it questioned whether that would be true and how their answers would be used.
David Brown, a Broward County political consultant, said he was given the survey by a woman who was offended when she received it.
“Some of the questions are incredibly offensive and invasive,” Brown told the Sun-Sentinel. “She thought that it was an unconscionable invasion of her privacy. There wasn’t enough information to tell her who really did this and where the budget was for it, whether the information was going to be kept private, and really, what are they talking about in terms of how does this information in any way help?”
The paper reported several questions from the survey:
– How old were you when you first had sex? The last time you had sex with a man, did you do anything to keep from getting pregnant? If not, why not?
– Has a sexual partner ever “told you he would have a baby with someone else if you didn’t get pregnant?”
– Are you depressed? Have you ever been physically abused? What’s your religion? Do you smoke? How much do you weigh?
Armstrong said the survey was created using questions that have appeared in other surveys used nationally and that it was vetted by review boards at the state health department and Florida AM University.
The state says Florida has one of the lowest rates of contraceptive use among women of child-bearing age.
The results will be used to design the state’s service offerings, including pamphlets and counseling. Women can receive contraceptives at the health department for a fee that’s based on income.
Armstrong said that without a survey it is difficult to understand gaps and disparities in women’s use of services.
“It’s really important to emphasize,” Armstrong said, “that we want people to be informed so that they can manage their health.”
Article source: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/11/26/florida-surveying-young-women-about-their-sex-lives-in-exchange-for-gift-card/
A 7-year-old girl suffering from leukemia is one of Oregon’s youngest medical marijuana patients.
Her mother says she gives her daughter marijuana pills to combat the effects of chemotherapy, but her father, who lives in North Dakota, worries about the effects of the drug on her brain development.
Mykayla Comstock was diagnosed with leukemia last spring. Her mother treats her with a gram of cannabis oil daily, The Oregonian reported.
Mykayla’s mother credits the drug for the leukemia’s remission. “As a mother, I am going to try anything before she can potentially fall on the other side,” said Erin Purchase, 25, who with her boyfriend administers Mykayla’s cannabis.
The girl says the drug helps her eat and sleep but also makes her feel “funny.”
“It helps me eat and sleep,” Mykayla said. “The chemotherapy makes you feel like you want to stay up all night long.”
Mykayla’s father, who is divorced from the girl’s mother, was so disturbed by his daughter’s marijuana use that he contacted child welfare officials, police and her oncologist. The father, Jesse Comstock, said his concerns were prompted by a visit with Mykayla in August.
“She was stoned out of her mind,” said Comstock, 26. “All she wanted to do was lay on the bed and play video games.”
Comstock, who works in a North Dakota oil field, pays child support to Purchase and covers Mykayla’s health insurance. He said he observed strange behavior during an August visit and took Mykayla to a private lab, where technicians detected THC levels of an adult daily marijuana user.
Gladstone police contacted the girl’s mother, examined Mykayla’s medical marijuana paperwork, then told Comstock there was little they could do.
Comstock, who used pot in the past, said he doesn’t object to people over 16 using medical marijuana.
But he worries about his daughter’s well-being and the potential for addiction.
“She’s not terminally ill,” Comstock said. “She is going to get over this, and with all this pot, they are going to hinder her brain growth.
“It’s going to limit her options in life because of the decisions her mother has made for her,” he added.
Oregon law requires no monitoring of a child’s medical marijuana use by a pediatrician.
The law instead invests authority in parents to decide the dosage, frequency and manner of a child’s marijuana consumption.
Many doctors worry about introducing a child to marijuana when they say other drugs can treat pain and nausea more effectively. Purchase believes marijuana heals, and credits the drug for curing her stepfather’s skin cancer.
She herself is an Oregon medical marijuana patient, and her boyfriend is Mykayla’s grower. She is so convinced of the drug’s safety that she consumed it during the pregnancy and while breastfeeding her second child.
When her symptoms are especially bad, Mykayla’s mother and her mother’s boyfriend will feed her cannabis-infused food. She’s had up to 1.2 grams of cannabis oil in 24 hours, the rough equivalent of smoking 10 joints.
Purchase said Mykayla’s first oncologist called the marijuana use “inappropriate.”
With marijuana, Purchase said her daughter has been able to fight past the chemotherapy and return to a sense of normalcy.
“She’s like she was before,” her mother said. “She’s a normal kid.”
Article source: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/11/26/7-year-old-girl-one-oregon-youngest-medical-marijuana-patients/
Men and women can suffer from hair loss for a variety of reasons. Genetics is often to blame for hair loss, and in many cases, it is the root cause. However, there is a large percentage of the population that experiences hair loss as a side effect of another condition or medication. Everything from poor nutrition to chronic stress to a hormonal imbalance can lead to hair loss.
The key to finding a solution to thinning hair or baldness is determining the root of the problem and seeking treatment accordingly.
Thyroid disorders
Your hormones regulate nearly every function in the body. Your thyroid produces several of these hormones that regulate your metabolism and energy levels. When your thyroid hormones –TSH, T3, T4, rT3 – are out of balance, it can also cause hair loss. Getting these hormones back in balance can correct the problem, stopping hair loss and allowing your hair to grow back.
Post-partum
The constant fluctuations that occur following pregnancy and childbirth can lead to thinning hair or loss in patches. This is normal and can last up to three months after the birth of your child. Your body will recover from the loss and your hair will grow back.
Medication
Several types of medications can cause your hair to fall out. Blood thinners, birth control, SSRI, NSAIDs and beta-blockers are just a few that many people may not be aware of. Chemotherapy is also classically associated with hair loss. When you stop taking these medications or are no longer undergoing treatment, your hair will grow back,
Physical trauma
The body reacts in various ways to physical trauma. Anything from surgery to a major accident to a grave illness can cause shock to the hair follicles and cause up to 75 percent of your hair to fall out. The severity of the trauma and the treatment plan can impact when and if the hair will grow back.
Emotional stress
Emotional disturbances such as a divorce, serious financial woes or death of a loved one can disrupt hair growth. However, once the gravity of these emotions has lifted and these stressors have been controlled, the body often returns to it normal state and your hair will grow back.
Nutrient deficiencies
When your body is missing essential nutrients, it will do its best to reserve energy for all that is vital. Your hair does not make the top of this “vital” list. Crash diets, severely restrictive fad diets and failure to eat a variety of foods can lead to nutrient deficiencies, which can cause hair loss or poor hair growth. Make sure your diet is balanced to care for your precious locks.
Over-styling
Believe it or not, all that work you do to make your tresses look fabulous can bring some serious damage to your hair and the number of strands that remain on your head. Harsh chemicals, like strong dyes; overuse of heated styling tools, such as blow dryers, curling irons, curlers and straightening irons; or even a too tight ponytail can cause hair loss. Handle your hair with care to keep it healthy.
Infections
Skin fungal infections, bacterial infections and other internal infections can cause balding or thinning of the hair. You must treat the source of the infection to restore hair growth and prevent further loss.
Autoimmune diseases
Diabetes and lupus are just two autoimmune diseases that have been linked to hair loss. In many cases the hair loss caused by these conditions may not be reversible; however medications or hair restoration surgeries may help compensate for the loss.
Genetics
Alopecia is the medical term for hair loss. There are two main types: alopecia areata and androgenic alopecia. Alopecia may cause hair loss exclusively on the scalp or all over the body. It may result in patches of hair loss, balding or thinning hair, which may be permanent or temporary. There are numerous causes, particularly genetics or autoimmune disorders as mentioned above. Treatments may be available to aid in hair growth, but a “cure” for patterned baldness has not yet been discovered.
Dr. Jennifer Landa is Chief Medical Officer of BodyLogicMD, the nation’s largest franchise of physicians specializing in bioidentical hormone therapy. Dr. Jen spent 10 years as a traditional OB-GYN, and then became board-certified in regenerative medicine, with an emphasis on bio-identical hormones, preventative medicine and nutrition. She is the author of “The Sex Drive Solution for Women.” Learn more about her programs at www.jenlandamd.com.
Article source: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/11/26/why-is-your-hair-falling-out/
A growing trend I’m seeing in many of my pregnant patients has me concerned – especially those from Latin American countries who often don’t realize that many cultural traditions, when it comes to food, can put their unborn children in danger.
When these patients either return to or have family members visit from their respective countries, who bring food that may not be properly processed, the potential for foodborne bacterial infections is increased. Once ingested, bacteria can cause complications in pregnancy that lead to miscarriage, severe intrauterine infection, or even stillbirth.
Certain infections like Listeria and E. coli are prime examples of those bacteria that you can get from unpasteurized cheeses, cold cuts, raw milk, undercooked meats and contaminated produce.
The CDC estimates that about 2,500 people contract listeriosis in the United States every year – with about a third of those cases occurring in pregnant women. Odds are, if you contract listeriosis, it will not make you seriously ill. But that doesn’t mean it can’t have a serious impact on the health of your developing baby.
Other infections like toxoplasmosis can be acquired by handling soil or cat litter that contains feces infected with the parasite, or by eating unprocessed or undercooked meats. About half of pregnant women infected with toxoplasmosis can transmit the infection to their unborn baby, which can cause severe problems either during or after birth.
I remember in medical school, we were taught about these infections in pregnant women, but you hardly saw them – especially here in the U.S. Now, more and more cases are being documented and personally, I have treated too many to say that it’s a coincidence, but rather a problematic trend that needs to stop.
Of course, there are other restrictions pregnant women need to observe when it comes to things like sushi and other fish, but I’ll answer those questions tomorrow.
So pay attention, and don’t consume homemade dairy products – especially those that are unpasteurized or unprocessed, if you want to have a healthy pregnancy.
Article source: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/11/26/are-what-eat-food-warning-for-pregnant-women/
