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The gentlebirth.org website is provided courtesy of
Ronnie Falcao, LM MS, a homebirth midwife in Mountain View, CA

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Genetics

Ricki Lake Attacked by the AMA

The AMA wants to make birth centers illegal, along with homebirths, even though
hospital births are causing more mothers and babies to die and suffer lifelong injury.

Read more about the ACOG 2008 Press Release from The Big Push for Midwives and Childbirth Connections

You can also educate yourself week-by-week in your pregnancy with theLamaze Weekly Pregnancy Newsletter for Parents

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Resources



This web page is a little bit tongue-in-cheek, because, from time-to-time, I see a study that makes me think that genetics is no longer being taught in med. schools.  So I'm collecting relevant links here:


Due Dates - Genetic Heritage


US-born Indian women have small babies [Source: The Journal of Pediatrics 2006, pre-release 4/5/06] - Investigating whether the tendency of Indian immigrants to have small babies is mirrored in their daughters, despite their living in the USA.

"Asian-Indian women born in the USA deliver more low-birth-weight babies than their Mexican-American peers, despite having fewer risk factors, US researchers reveal. " . . .  "Attempting to explain their results, Madan and colleagues speculate that maternal birth weight, stress, attitudes toward pregnancy and family support may influence fetal growth."  Oh, gee, I don't know, what else could it be . . .?  Maybe the paternal birth weight is also a factor!  In fact, maybe the parental heights and parental weights and even the baby's length are factors!  Oh, gosh, you don't think it could be genetic, do you?  NO . . . medicine teaches us that NORMAL means "equal to the norm", right?  WRONG!

Sociocultural factors that affect pregnancy outcomes in two dissimilar immigrant groups in the United States.
Madan A, Palaniappan L, Urizar G, Wang Y, Fortmann SP, Gould JB.
J Pediatr. 2006 Mar;148(3):341-6.

CONCLUSIONS: Perinatal outcomes deteriorate in U.S.-born Mexican women. In contrast, the paradoxically increased incidence of LBW persists in U.S.-born Asian-Indian women. Further research is needed to identify the social and biologic determinants of perinatal outcome. [Ed: Maybe they should start with some really basic research, such as showing that newborn weights are directly affected by the size of their parents!  It's called genetics!]



Future Research



I'm saving this spot for research that will surely come if the above trend continues.  It will be about something really, really silly, such as, "Caucasians continue to have lighter skin, even after moving to Africa," or, even worse, "Study shows that children of French parents are more likely to speak French."  Do you think that's too ridiculous?  Oh, ye of little faith . . .
 

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