Health Canada Warns Against Morning-Sickness Remedy
Health Canada is advising Canadians, especially pregnant and breastfeeding women, to avoid taking the traditional remedy calabash chalk because of potential health risks from high levels of lead. Testing has shown that calabash chalk also contains arsenic. Calabash chalk - which is generally sold loose and without a particular brand, batch number or best-before date - is not authorized for sale in Canada.
Coverage of the Quintessence Breastfeeding Challenge
CTV covered the Quintessence Breastfeeding Challenge in Toronto and spoke to renowned breastfeeding proponent, Dr. Jack Newman. Have a look at the comments section following the article – I was particularly pleased by the number of positive comments from both men and women. It appears that Canada’s breastfeeding acceptance is pretty good.
Breast Milk Associated With Greater Mental Development in Preterm Infants, Fewer Re-hospitalizations
The US department of Health and Human Services (yes, the same one that’s been under scrutiny in recent weeks) has released a report this week stating:
“Extremely low birth weight premature infants who received breast milk shortly after birth, while still in intensive care units, had greater mental development scores at 30 months than did infants who were not fed breast milk, reported researchers in an NIH network. Moreover, infants fed breast milk were less likely to have been re-hospitalized after their initial discharge than were the infants not fed breast milk.”
Lay-Midwife Charged $11,000 For Practicing Without a License
Diane Goslin, an Amish midwife in Pennsylvania, has been fined and ordered to cease practicing midwifery because she is not licensed. Goslin, a former premed student, has been a lay-midwife for 25 years and attended 5,000 births but does not have the state’s required nurse certification. Homebirths attended by lay-midwives are common practice among the Amish and Mennonite communities in the area. Apparently the case against Goslin does not rest on questions of her competence and she has many supporters within the community. Not all states require nursing certification to practice midwifery. (I think there are about 10 states that do). Goslin is registered as a direct entry midwife (that is, a midwife who has undergone formal training, apprenticeship and testing but is not a nurse) through the North American Registry of Midwives but her certification is not recognized by Pennsylvania. There are 29 states that legally recognize certified direct entry midwives. Learn more…
What are your thoughts on this? I’d love to hear your comments.
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