WOMEN &HEALTH

Mother in the Dark, Too?

Daniele Rapoport, of the French Centre Nationale de la Recherche Scientifique, investigated three groups of 40 Leboyer babies who were each one, two, and three years old. In all, 120 babies of 1,000 delivered by Leboyer in a maternity ward of a "nonfashionable" area in Paris were studied. In the Leboyer method, infants are "delivered" in a dimly lit, quiet room. They are laid across the mother's abdomen and stroked, placed in a warm bath for a time, then breast fed.

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"The newborns scored an average of 106 on Gesell's psychomotor test compared to an average of 100; scores ranged as high as 129. Most of the 120 children studied walked by 13 months instead of the usual 14; most were ambidextrous. 112 had no digestive problems," according to the research. "Love is the most important factor," according to the researcher, "and the only way to make the newborn understand that s/he is welcome in the new breathing world is to tell the child with your fingers."

While there are obvious benefits to the newborn infant in the Leboyer study, no assessment was made of the mother's experience. What the study does say is that 60 percent of the mothers were of "lowermiddle class" families. None of the 120 mothers had ever heard of Leboyer. They were directed to his ward at random. The method of delivery was explained to them only when labor had begun. Where was there a consideration of the woman's uncertainties of an unknown procedure, for which she was unprepared? Or where was there a consideration of the pregnant woman's rights to determine the manner in which her child would be born, not “delivered”?

Changes in childbirth practices are essential. Technology, the institutions and corporations, and the medical profession have invaded and dehumanized the most human of experiences. But recent innovations have focused on the experience of the father (labor coach, delivery room participant), other children and relatives (everyone into the delivery room!), and the newborn infant, as in the Leboyer

method. While it is the woman who is having the baby, her experience may receive negligible attention. Yet the pregnant woman is of course the center of the birthing event. What is to happen during childbirth must be her decision, decided upon in advance.

We cannot allow these rights of pregnant women to be stripped away, even in the name of Leboyer innovation. Everyone concerned in a woman's childbirth must assume responsibility to implement her decisions, because childbirth involves her body and her experience.

-Janna Dieckmann Information from New Generation

Page & What She Wants/February 1843957

PERILS OF PENNYROYAL

The death of one woman and the illness of two others followed their ingestion of pennyroyal oil in attempts to cause miscarriages. All three women lived in Colorado and ranged in age from 18 to 24. Each had used self-administered herbal remedies for common illnesses in the past. None of the women knew each other or had common sources of information about herbals. Each had apparently read of pennyroyal's use as an abortion-causing drug, though dosage was not suggested.

Two of the women each took one-quarter of an ounce of pennyroyal oil. Both developed symptoms of nausea, dizziness, and burning sensations beginning two hours after ingestion of the oil. Both women sought assistance at a hospital emergency. room. The symptoms subsided for both women without treatment. Neither woman suffered longterm complications, and neither succeeded in causing a miscarriage. At least one of the women did later seek a conventional abortion.

The third woman was also seen at a hospital two hours after she swallowed one ounce of pennyroyal oil-four times the amount taken by the other two women. Apparently she has used herbals for about two years, including pennyroyal tea, rue, and black cohosh to induce menstruation. Her reasons for taking such a large dose are unclear. She apparently had had a recent severe depression and had talked of suicide and her fear of pregnancy. Despite intensive treatment, this woman died seven days later of cardiopulmonary arrest; she had developed massive liver failure and severe kidney and lung damage. The irony of this woman's death is that she was not even pregnant.

The herb pennyroyal is a member of the mint family that grows wild throughout the United States east of the Rockies. Pennyroyal oil (Mentha pulegium) is a volatile oil related to turpentine and is thought to be an irritant to the uterus and bladder, causing reflex contractions to both. This oil is poisonous to many human organ systems and produces nausea and vomiting, changes in blood clotting regulation, and liver and kidney failure. Two other fatal cases of pennyroyal ingestion are known to the medical profession.

While pennyroyal has been used since ancient times to induce abortion, in modern times it can be

unpredictable and dangerous, as knowledge of its correct use has been lost.

What is known is that any essential oil is many times stronger than the corresponding tea. Those who use herbal preparations must concern themselves with obtaining reliable information from reliable sources. As happened here, haphazard use of unknown herbs can be deadly. At the same time, expansion of our knowledge of herbs and their uses must continue.

AM. PENNYROYAL

One other implication of the experiences of these three women must be pointed out. These three women took pennyroyal to cause an abortion, not to treat a headache or cold. What influenced their decisions to terminate their pregnancies in this way? While exact information is unavailable, it is clear that abortion services were not available enough-by cost, geography, or personal reasons-to be used to diagnose and to end these women's pregnancies according to their decisions. And that unavailability is the real mistake, the real crime of one woman's death and the illnesses of two others.

-Janna Dieckmann Information from Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report Center for Disease Control, Dec. 22 '78

Revolution...or Ripoff?

Nationwide ads promote home pregnancy test kits, calling them "a private little revolution any woman can easily buy at her drugstore." Brands available locally are EPT, Acu-Test, and Answer. Prices range from $8.29 to $9.39.

Are they accurate? Yes, if used correctly. But there are several steps to follow and a mistake could lead to a false negative result (meaning you really are pregnant but the test indicates that you are not pregnant).

Do these test kits let you find out earlier? No. They test for the presence of a hormone (HCG) in your urine. A similar urine test is done routinely at labs, clinics and doctors's offices. All of these can determine pregnancy 42 days from the first day of your last menstrual period (LMP).

What are the advantages? This test, unlike the others, can be done in your own home, and offers women another choice in how to determine pregnancy. However, the home test kit is not recognized as valid by practitioners at this time. Chances are you'll have to have it done again at a lab, clinic, or doctor's office, whether you opt for birth or abortion.

Are they legal? Yes. They got in just under the wire, before the FDA changed its regulations for such devices. So although legal, they aren't under FDA regulation. This means they don't have to meet

the same manufacturing standards and quality control testing that the tests used by labs, clinics or practitioners have to meet.

Then why are they being so heavily advertised? They'll make a lot of money. The difference between $3 (the actual cost of the chemicals) and $8.29 or $9.39 adds up to a lot of profit. Also, the ads are subtly slanted to get the woman to do the test twice. They talk about doing the test "as soon as possible."" Since this often yields a false negative result, the woman needs to buy another kit and do the test again a week or so later.

-General information excerpted from Santa Cruz Women's Health Center Newsletter, December, 1978 Editors Note: Free urine tests to determine pregnancy are available 42 days LMP at Cleveland Center for Reproductive Health (421-8600), Omni Health Center (382-6050), and Preterm (368-1000). Preterm has a west side drop-off center at West Shore Unitarian Church, 20401 Hilliard Road, Monday and Thursday, 10:00 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. (no phone). Free urine tests (45 days LMP) with pelvic exam, supportive counseling, information and referrals are available at the Free Clinic (721-4010).