May 16, 2006

Just an incubator?

New Federal guidlines ask health care professionals to treat all women capable of conceiving a baby as "pre-pregnant" from menarche through menopause.

"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."
All women, huh?

I have soooo many problems with this one:

First: We should encourage EVERYONE to be as healthy as possible.  Men and women alike.  FOR THEIR OWN WELL BEING.

Second:  I find this utterly demeaning.  As if the SOLE purpose of my body is to carry around my uterus and anything that ends up growing inside it.

Third, and related:  So, basically you're saying that if I choose not to have children or I can't have children, I should be preparing my body to have kids anyway?  That's insulting on so many levels I don't have room here to go into it.  I can just see some poor soul fighting infertility, finally resigning herself to being unable to bear children, and then being told by some twit doctor that she should take prenatal vites and avoid smoking for the sake of her potential children.....

h/t ilyka, who also uses a 4-letter word.

Posted by caltechgirl at May 16, 2006 04:22 PM | TrackBack
Comments

That's just wrong, not to mention creepy to the extreme!

Posted by: Ith at May 16, 2006 05:33 PM

Federal guidelines?!?! Ick. Go away Big Brother.

Posted by: Marie at May 17, 2006 06:36 AM

Good grief.

Though I guess on the positive side this would mean no woman should ever clean out a cat box, right? Just in case.

I would think that if we really wanted to do something about the low birth survival rates in the US (the stated reason for the guidelines) we might want to look at the statistical groupings with poor infant survival rates and do something to target them for increased health awareness and prenatal care.

Posted by: beth at May 17, 2006 07:12 AM

when the government says "should" it is just a step from saying "you will" which means you will have no choice in the matter. Anytime anyone doesn't think so just remember seatbelt laws and helits for kids riding bicyle laws and smoking bans. Be very aware any time the 'guvmit' decides to force you to do something for your own personal protection because I will guarantee you that the primary ageda has nothing to do with you personal protection and has a money goal behind it somewhere.

Posted by: GUYK at May 17, 2006 08:49 AM

How did the human race survive before this regulation?

So much for limited government

Posted by: KG at May 17, 2006 09:58 AM

::puts arms on hips::

Ha ha! Calm down there, little lady! Just let us do the thinking for you. There, there...

::pats CTG gently on the head::

:-P

Posted by: zonker at May 21, 2006 04:10 PM

I just heard Dr. Jim Keating on Handel this morning and he was talking about this. He had a different perspective. The main thing he brought up was this creates a billing number (any one who has ever worked for a consultant knows that billable work is prefeered because you make money on it) so that doctors are encouraged to take the time to help women understand what they need to do to have a healthy baby. Because the fed will pay them back for the time they are more likely to spend more time going over these issues. If they aren't getting paid they will only get a minute or two.

Just an interesting perspective to consider.

Posted by: the Pirate at May 22, 2006 07:05 AM