Forever Pregnant

[MountainLaurel]

:wtf:

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.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/15/AR2006051500875.html

[sinkingfeeling]

1. Excuse me, I'm stuck where I just hit the ceiling!! Shades of the

'Handmaid's Tale"!! I want these idiots gone away from here!

[roguevalley]

21. slavery returns

[babylonsister]

2. "...and to be treated by the health care system- -"

What health care system? :shrug:

[MountainLaurel]

6. No shit

They're doing this supposedly to improve the U.S.'s abysmal infant mortality rate. Why not make sure pregnant women can access prenatal care as well as deal with long-term illnesses like diabetes and addiction? That in and of itself would deal with a huge chunk of infant mortality cases.

Oh wait, making sure ALL your citizens have health care? That's what those commie pinkos in Europe do.

:eyes:

[alphafemale]

3. Crazy. nt

[TAPat]

4. Boy, I have a stream of expletives

that would make a sailor blush... I'll settle for my old standby: OH PISS OFF! :grr:
What are we? Just a bunch of bleeding vessels? Jeeezzzz...

[Mass]

5. This applies to men and women. Why make these advice for women

who could be pregnant only?

The pro-life lobby is getting more and more present everyday.

There is a reason why infantile death rate is much higher here: people cannot pay for it.

[MountainLaurel]

11. I always wondered about that

Particularly with laws that mandate the arrest of a woman who uses drugs during pregnancy. I knew a faculty member once whose son was born deaf, with physical deformities, and who will be mentally about 4 years old forever because of bad sperm caused by his drug use. Yet the prolifers aren't out there trying to have them arrested and their children put in foster care.

[CrispyQ]

7. Barefoot & pregnant, seen but not heard.

I lived during the best time of our country. This story is tragic.

[jojo54]

8. Tin foil hat theory.......

I know this is from WaPo but why do I get an odd vision of women birthing an army? Why do I get a nagging feeling that this is a story put out by the CDC, secretly demanded by the administration? Is it because my mind is so numbed to any truth that may be reported in good conscience?

[BrklynLiberal]

17. Not so tinfoil...

[Ian David]

9. Two words: Environmental Toxins

You want to decrease infant mortality?

Clean-up the environment.
Provide Universal Health Care.
House the Homeless.
Feed the hungry.

[elehhhhna]

10. drug & alcohol treatment for all who ask. That would help. Also:

ACCESS TO BIRTH CONTROL.

[MountainLaurel]

12. Ain't that the truth?

:applause:

[bloom]

23. "federal guidelines"?

If they were concerned they would label tuna and other stuff.

Stop the sales of various chemicals, implement the environmental regulations, etc.

Oh yeah- and make the recommendations for everyone. How odd that is - as if only the pre-pregnant women are going to be toxin, etc. free and the rest of the country is going to be swimming in it.

They better start worrying about Depleted Uranium - I understand that is esp. bad for men to be exposed to - and for their children.


Federal guidelines. Sheesh. If only they were concerned.

[Captain Hilts]

24. Toxins [that includes alcohol!] in men affect children too! nt

[Orrex]

13. The Administration is missing an opportunity for healthcare reform

This "pre-pregnant" policy is a great idea, but it's just the tip of the iceberg. If they'd simply declare us all "pre-dead," then they can abandon all that wasteful healthcare stuff altogether. No more wasteful funding of drug or stem cell research. Just think of how much money we could devote to sowing the seeds of Freedom and Democracy abroad while building non-rascist Mexican-proof walls in our own fine nation.

[zbdent]

14. gonna piss off the smoking industry

"There isn't enough evidence to suggest that smoking is harmful . . ."

[BrklynLiberal]

15. As was stated earlier..WHERE ARE THE RULES FOR THE MEN??!!!

Defective sperm are just as bad as egg and/or uterine irregularities.

[SupplyConcerns]

22. Frankly that's not a true statement

If I'm drinking while I get someone pregnant and for 9 months afterwards, it won't have the same effect as if she's drinking and doe for 9 months afterwards. Let's not turn into anti-scientific phonies.

[Captain Hilts]

25. But male health DOES affect babies.

you are arguing 'degree' of effect.

I remember men working around batteries were likely to have underweight babies, etc.

There are all sorts of correlations, not as strong as women's, but they're there.

[BrklynLiberal]

16. Note I sent to the author of this article...

Ms Payne:
Are you going to do a piece about Pre-fertilzation care for men?
Aren't healthy sperm as important to the health of a baby as the environment supplied by the mother?

This article also needed to highlight the lack of universal health care in this country. Those other industrialized countries that have lower infant mortality rates all have universal health care.

Looking foreward to seeing these points covered in your next article on this subject.

Sincerely,

[Lisa0825]

19. EXCELLENT!!!

:applause: :applause: :applause:

[Lisa0825]

18. Salon on this article:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=1207627&mesg_id=1207627

[BrklynLiberal]

20. Thanks for this link.

[NMMNG]

26. Women are nothing but brood mares

And should spend their entire menstruating lives behaving as such.

Men, on the other hand, get to live life as they choose apparently, as always.

[alphafemale]

27. So...are women now going to have no access to most RX?

Until they prove themselves NOT pregnant?

Bat shit crazy.