Frequently Asked Questions About Circumcision

Ryan McAllister, Ph.D., Executive Director of NotJustSkin.org and others.
One of NotJustSkin's primary missions is to educate the public about violations of informed consent or bodily integrity. In the U.S., male genital cutting, more often called circumcision, is commonly practiced even though parents rarely receive the information that would be required to give informed consent to any other procedure. Circumcision is the only procedure where a doctor can legally amputate part of a nonconsenting child without any medical reason.

The following are answers to some commonly asked questions about circumcision. Further questions and suggestions can be directed to Ryan, above.


Isn't circumcision just a little snip?

In a typical infant boy, the foreskin is a double-sided sleeve of skin and soft mucosal tissue that completely encloses the glans (the head of the penis). It is actually physically bonded to the infant's glans. This skin contains thousands of blood vessels and specialized nerves. In an adult, it would grow to cover 12-15 square inches. Circumcision removes this part of the penis. The operator forces a metal clamp inside the foreskin, and tears the skin away from the glans. The operator then slices the foreskin down past the glans and cuts the foreskin off. The entire procedure is excruciatingly painful. Infant circumcision is performed without adequate anesthesia, since anesthetizing such a young infant can be very dangerous. Partial or complete amputation of the penis sometimes occurs. Some children even die from the trauma, hemorrhage, or other complications.



What problems can occur after the initial surgery? Are there complications?Immediately after circumcision, a child is at risk for infection and hemorrhage. The loss of the protective foreskin places him at risk for complications including meatitis (inflammation and ulceration of the urinary meatus), meatal stenosis (constriction of the meatus, resulting in blocked urinary flow and potential infection), preputial stenosis (scarring that constricts the glans), and buried penis (entrapment of the penis by scar tissue). Together, these conditions, which are almost unheard of in non-circumcised males, affect up to 20% of circumcised males and may require additional surgery.

A circumcised male may also experience chafing and abrasion of the exposed glans against clothing, painful erections due to the tightened skin, scarring, and desensitization that can severely reduce enjoyment of sexual activity. A circumcised penis may be significantly smaller than it would otherwise have been. For more information, see the Circumcision Information Resource Center, under "Complications of circumcision."


What is the value of the foreskin?

The foreskin has protective, sensory, biomechanical, and immunological functions. Throughout life, the outer part of the foreskin protects the sensitive inner part of the foreskin and the glans from injury, abrasion, chafing, and infection. The foreskin keeps its mucosal tissue and the glans soft and moist so that it maintains sensitivity. During sexual activity, the foreskin glides up and down over the glans, providing sensation from thousands of specialized nerve endings in the inner foreskin. Parts of the foreskin, including the frenulum (a narrow membrane on the underside of the foreskin) and the ridged band (the edge of the foreskin, between the inner and outer skin), are particularly important in sexual function. See the Circumcision Information Resource Center, under "Foreskin sexual function." Circumcision removes most of the inner and outer foreskin, and destroys these functions.

The foreskin secretes immunological substances that fight infection, called lysozymes, and also produces natural lubricants, reducing the need for artificial lubricants during sex. The presence of the foreskin can enhance the sexual experience for both partners. Polls of women who had experienced both circumcised and uncircumcised partners indicated a strong preference for the latter, with longer duration of coitus and higher rate of orgasm cited as the main reasons (for example, see "The effect of male circumcision on the sexual enjoyment of the female partner").


Isn't female circumcision worse than male circumcision?

Female circumcision is typically viewed as more horrific than male circumcision because it is usually done under unhygienic conditions rather than in a hospital, and because one form of female circumcision, infibulation, is particularly severe. However, both male and female circumcisions are classed as genital mutilation by the International Coalition for Genital Integrity. Both forms of circumcision remove functional, normal tissue, cause extreme pain, permanently disfigure the genitals, and permanently damage the sexual response. And in most cultures where female circumcision is performed, male circumcision is also performed with equally unhygienic instruments. Regardless of the child's gender, when done to infants or children, unnecessary genital surgeries violate human rights because they are amputations performed without medical need and without the individual's consent.

The World Health Organization recognizes three types of female circumcision. Type I removes the clitoral hood and/or the clitoral tip. Type II removes the clitoral hood, clitoris, and part or all of the labia. Type III, also known as infibulation or pharaonic circumcision, involves removal of all external female genitalia and suturing of the vaginal opening.

Male circumcision can be compared to type I or II female circumcision. Although the glans is not harmed at the time of circumcision, the loss of protective structures causes it to dry out and lose sensitivity over time. It is also important to note that most of the nerves and pleasure receptors present in the clitoris are, in the male, present in the foreskin and its associated structure, the frenulum. Removal of these nerves constitutes a loss that can be most adequately compared to a partial clitoridectomy.


If circumcision were really harmful, wouldn't a lot of men be talking about it?

A lot of men are. National organizations such as NOCIRC (National Organization of Circumcision Information Resource Centers) and NORM (National Organization for Restoring Men) testify to the existence of millions of men who have lost sensitivity and function due to circumcision. Married, single, heterosexual, homosexual, and bisexual men of all ages are finding that their adult sexuality has been compromised by the loss of their foreskins in infancy.

Because our culture discourages men from admitting feelings of inadequacy or discussing health problems, particularly those of a sexual nature, many men have felt unable to describe their problems or have not found a receptive audience to their concerns. Many are also unaware of how much feeling they have lost; it is impossible for a circumcised man to know what his experience of sexuality would have been, had he not been circumcised. There is medical literature suggesting that circumcision causes sexual dysfunction later in life, as well as anecdotal evidence from circumcised men who experienced problems with chafing or lack of pleasure from sex (see Personal Stories).

Circumcision affects each man differently. During the healing process, some may be able to reroute more or fewer of the severed nerves and blood vessels and may retain more or less ability too feel. Some men feel numb during sexual activity and are unable to feel any pleasure. One man who was circumcised as an adult compared his sexual experiences before and after to the difference between seeing in color, and seeing in black and white.


If circumcision doesn't provide any health benefits, then why do doctors still do it?

The primary reason in the United States is cosmetic. The image of the circumcised penis has become so much a part of our cultural consciousness that most people do not know what a non-circumcised penis looks like. They may feel that the natural look is ugly or may think it is unhygienic. Discomfort with the natural appearance of the penis is a learned response.

Tradition is powerful. Many parents cite their desire to have their son look like his father, or like his friends. As the circumcision rate in the U.S. falls (it is now around 60%), the intact penis will become the norm instead.

Some parents ask for circumcision because they believe that it will save their sons from having health problems later in life. In fact, circumcision does not provide any protection against infection, penile cancer, or sexually-transmitted diseases (including HIV/AIDS), and does not reduce the rate of cervical cancer in female partners. (See the Circumcision Information Resource Center, under "The role of the prepuce in prevention of disease and infections.") Myths about circumcision are slow to die and are still used to justify many surgeries.

Another reason doctors continue to perform circumcisions is that they, like the general public, are unaware of the value of the foreskin. The standard medical education in the United States includes the technique of circumcision but lacks a description of normal penile anatomy or function. Around the turn of the previous century, medical textbooks began printing images of circumcised penises instead of intact ones, so most medical students do not even have the opportunity to learn what a normal adult penis looks like.

Many doctors and medical students are not aware that infant circumcision is not recommended by any national medical organization in the world.

Circumcision is also a procedure that doctors can perform in just a few minutes. The cost of an infant circumcision is a few hundred dollars. Amputated foreskins can be sold later to pharmaceutical and medical companies for use in research and in the production of shampoos, emollients, and skin for burn therapy. These financial incentives may complicate the issue.


Isn't circumcision part of Jewish religious heritage? Is circumcision part of other faiths?

Circumcision occurs in, Jewish, Islamic, and many tribal traditions. In Judaism, the circumcision is performed during a naming ceremony called Brit Milah, and is done by a mohel on the 8th day of life. In many Islamic traditions, circumcision is done near puberty, and the ceremony is called kataan. There are also many other cultures or faiths in which male circumcision, usually done between ages 6 and 12, is important.

The vast majority of infants who are circumcised in the United States do not have parents who belong to a faith or culture in which circumcision is important and are not circumcised for religious reasons. Furthermore, hospital circumcision is not performed as part of a religious ceremony.

Within the Jewish community, there is growing disagreement about circumcision. Some feel that circumcision contradicts other aspects of the Jewish religion. The Torah forbids the torture or causing of pain to any living creature, especially physically assaulting or harming another person (Exodus 21:18-27). Jewish law specifically forbids body modification, including the cutting or marking of the human body (Lev. 19:28). Jews are also required to help those who are helpless, such as newborn infants, and are exempt from performing religious duties that would cause harm to others.

There is an alternative ceremony called a Brit Shalom that incorporates the tradition of the naming ceremony without damaging the foreskin. Ronald Goldman's article, "Circumcision: A Source of Jewish Pain" provides an in-depth discussion of circumcision from a Jewish perspective. There is additional information under the Religious Support section of our site, including contact information for Jews Against Circumcision.

Some ethicists feel that all types of infant and child circumcision, whether done as part of a religious ceremony or not, violate human rights. Female circumcision is seen as a human rights violation even though it occurs in the context of a religious ceremony in many cultures.


I've heard or seen that some babies don't even cry when they're circumcised, so it must not hurt them. Even if it is painful for them, if they can't remember the pain later, why does it matter?

It's impossible for us to know what kinds of long-term consequences a procedure as traumatic as circumcision might have on the developing mind and senses of a newborn baby. Babies who don't cry during circumcision are so severely traumatized by the pain that they lapse into a state of shock. For all infants, the experience of circumcision is an injury that betrays their early desire to bond with their caregivers. Babies who have been circumcised are significantly more likely to avoid eye contact, to be unresponsive to adults, and to have problems breast-feeding.

Babies may feel pain more intensely than adults. Because the neural pathways that allow "pain-killer" endorphins to be released in response to severe injury are not yet fully developed, babies may experience more intense and unrelenting pain than they would if they were subjected to the same trauma later in life. There is also evidence that the memory of circumcision pain is retained far longer than previously thought. In one study, circumcised male babies reacted more severely to the pain of vaccination months later, than non-circumcised male babies did. See the Circumcision Information Resource Center, under "Pain of circumcision and pain control."

No anesthetic can make circumcision a painless procedure.


If parents decide not to have their son circumcised, won't he be teased?

Circumcised children are also teased. The body of a non-circumcised boy is normal, healthy, and whole. A proper understanding of his own anatomy and the reasons he was allowed to remain intact, will enable a boy to feel self-confident about his body. Furthermore, circumcision is already uncommon internationally and is becoming less common in the U.S.


Isn't it more complicated to care for an uncircumcised penis?

An infant's foreskin is non-retractable and should not be forcibly retracted for cleaning. It does not require any particular care. By the age of 18, most men's foreskins will have become retractable, and can be cleaned by sliding the foreskin back, rinsing with warm water, and letting the foreskin slide forward again. It is not necessary to use soap or any harsh cleansers; soap use may even cause problems. The intact penis is a self-cleaning organ that produces smegma (a creamy substance also produced by females, containing dead cells and immunological substances) to combat infection. See the Circumcision Information Resource Center, under "Proper penile hygiene for intact men."

Meanwhile, following circumcision, the injured penis requires careful attention and monitoring. In the absence of complications, the open wound takes about ten days to heal. During this time, the child may have difficulty sleeping and breastfeeding. In addition, there is a risk of infection, adherence of the bandages to the wound, and abnormal healing.


What if an uncircumcised man has problems with his foreskin later?

The most commonly cited indication for circumcision after infancy is a condition called phimosis, in which the foreskin has scar tissue or inflammation and becomes tight around the glans. In children, this can result from premature, forcible retraction of the foreskin, which causes tearing of the skin and creates a raw wound susceptible to infection. Circumcision is an excessive treatment for phimosis, which can be resolved by steroid creams, and gentle manual loosening and stretching of the foreskin, and in severe cases, moderate preputioplasty. See the Circumcision Information Resource Center, under "Conservative treatment of penile problems."

Like every part of the body, the foreskin has the potential to develop malignancies. Malignancy of the foreskin is extremely rare (approximately 1 in 100,000) and occurs mostly in older men. It is appropriate to treat this cancer by removing the cancerous region of the tissue. The only other medical reasons to amputate foreskin tissue are frostbite and gangrene of the foreskin, also extremely rare.


How late can parents wait to make the decision about circumcision?

Parents may wait as long as they like to make this life-changing decision; circumcision does not need to be performed at any particular point. Parents are typically asked during pregnancy whether they want a circumcision if the child is a boy. In more rushed scenarios, mothers may be presented with a circumcision consent form while they are in labor or under anesthesia. Doctors usually do not provide comprehensive information about the procedure or its effects, so parents need to take the time to educate themselves about it.

If they decide not to circumcise, they must be prepared to enforce their decision and to not allow the infant to be removed from their sight while they are in the hospital. There are numerous cases of circumcisions being performed on infants whose parents had not given consent, or who had directly indicated that they did not want a circumcision done.


Are there ethical concerns about circumcision? Can circumcision be viewed as a violation of human rights?

There are two main arguments that performing circumcision upon minors cannot be ethically defensible.

The first argument is based on the child's rights to physical integrity and self-determination. Several United Nations General Assembly Resolutions have established these and related rights for children. (See Attorneys for the Rights of the Child.) The act of performing an unnecessary amputation violates both these rights. Circumcision is not medically necessary, and has no established health benefits; therefore it is an unnecessary amputation.

The second argument is that all human beings have equal rights. Since any unnecessary surgical alteration to female genitals has been condemned by the U.N. and has been illegal in the U.S. since 1997, equal rights dictates that male and intersex children have the right to equal protection from unnecessary genital surgeries.

Further, to be ethically and legally defensible, any elective surgery requires informed consent. Informed consent becomes even more important when the surgery is performed on a minor and/or when the surgery is sexual in nature. The informed part of informed consent requires that the decision-maker (in the case of infant circumcision, this is the guardian) be given complete information about the procedure, including risks, proposed benefits, and alternatives. At the time of this writing, circumcision consent forms used in hospitals and by private practitioners generally lacks this information. Therefore the right parents have to be offered informed consent is also being violated.


What is foreskin restoration?

Partial, non-surgical restoration of the foreskin is possible. Circumcised men who wish to restore their foreskins can attempt the slow process of non-surgical restoration, which involves gradually stretching the shaft skin over the glans until it grows enough to cover the glans. There are various techniques, including daily manual tugging, taping, or extension devices like weights. The process typically requires several years. Many men who have restored report benefits including reduced chafing, enhanced lubrication and softness, and enhanced pleasure during sex. For more information, visit the National Organization of Restoring Men (NORM).


I've heard that there are other genital surgeries done to children? What is intersex? What is forced gender assignment surgery?

A small fraction of children (estimates vary, but perhaps around 0.1% of live-births) are born with atypical genitals, meaning genitals that do not look to an observer like most babies' penises or vulvas. Don't panic. Atypical does not mean bad, just unusual. Over a dozen underlying biological conditions can cause result in atypical genitals. In the past, a child born with unusual genitals may commonly have been treated as an emergency requiring surgical alteration to look more like other children. Unfortunately, these forced gender assignment surgeries have resulted in unnecessary traumatization and injury to thousands of persons. These surgeries can also be viewed as a violation of human rights.

When parents become aware that they have a child whose genitals appear unusual, or a person becomes aware that they have an intersex condition, a good next step is to begin learning about intersex. Organizations like the Intersex Society of North America and Bodies Like Ours provide medical and scientific information about intersex conditions and contact with other individuals in similar situation.


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This FAQ may be freely distributed without change. For revision information, contact Ryan McAllister, ryan@notjustskin.org.


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NotJustSkin is an educational charity that is not associated with the government or any private corporation. Our mission is to support the physical health, emotional wellness, and quality of relationships of children, parents, and others.

Food Dyes and Sodium Benzonate Affect Children's Behavior

Food dyes and sodium benzoate affect children's behavior


Food additives and hyperactive behaviour in 3-year-old and 8/9-year-old children in the community: a randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial
Background

We undertook a randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, crossover trial to test whether intake of artificial food colour and additives (AFCA) affected childhood behaviour.

Methods

153 3-year-old and 144 8/9-year-old children were included in the study. The challenge drink contained sodium benzoate and one of two AFCA mixes (A or B) or a placebo mix. The main outcome measure was a global hyperactivity aggregate (GHA), based on aggregated z-scores of observed behaviours and ratings by teachers and parents, plus, for 8/9-year-old children, a computerised test of attention. This clinical trial is registered with Current Controlled Trials (registration number ISRCTN74481308). Analysis was per protocol.

Findings

16 3-year-old children and 14 8/9-year-old children did not complete the study, for reasons unrelated to childhood behaviour. Mix A had a significantly adverse effect compared with placebo in GHA for all 3-year-old children (effect size 0·20 [95% CI 0·01–0·39], p=0·044) but not mix B versus placebo. This result persisted when analysis was restricted to 3-year-old children who consumed more than 85% of juice and had no missing data (0·32 [0·05–0·60], p=0·02). 8/9-year-old children showed a significantly adverse effect when given mix A (0·12 [0·02–0·23], p=0·023) or mix B (0·17 [0·07–0·28], p=0·001) when analysis was restricted to those children consuming at least 85% of drinks with no missing data.

Interpretation

Artificial colours or a sodium benzoate preservative (or both) in the diet result in increased hyperactivity in 3-year-old and 8/9-year-old children in the general population.

Affiliations

a. School of Psychology, Department of Child Health, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK

b. School of Medicine, Department of Child Health, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK

c. Department of Paediatrics, Imperial College, London, UK

Corresponding Author InformationCorrespondence to: Prof Jim Stevenson, School of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK

Summary and full text available at http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140673607613063/abstract.


http://naturalchild.com/research/food_dyes.html

Should My Baby be Sleeping Through the Night?

Should My Baby be Sleeping Through the Night?

by Kelly Bonyata, BS, IBCLC

It's so common for mothers to worry when their babies don't sleep through the night. After all, everyone knows they're "supposed to." Some doctors recommend nighttime weaning and "cry it out" methods if your baby is not sleeping through the night by 6 months or even earlier. Even when the mom herself has no problems with baby nursing at night, she still worries that this is a problem, since American society seem to consider it one. There are books all over the bookstores with advice on solving so-called "sleep problems."

First, please ignore what everyone else says about your baby's sleep habits and what is "normal." These people are not living with you or your baby. Unless your doctor sleeps in the next room and your baby is keeping him awake every night, he has no reason to question a healthy baby's sleep habits. If you and your baby enjoy nighttime feedings, then why not continue? It's a great way to have time with her, particularly if you are apart during the day.

Every baby is different, and some sleep through the night earlier than others (schedules or food usually have nothing to do with this). Your baby may be hungry (keep in mind that breastmilk digests in less than 2 hours) or she may just want time with you. Babies whose mothers work during the week often nurse more at night and on weekends, perhaps to reconnect with Mom. This period of time will be a very tiny part of your child's years with you.

Doctors tend to look at night nursing only from a nutritional standpoint, but this is only part of the story. After the first few months, your baby will begin to associate the breast with far more than just a way to satisfy hunger and thirst. It becomes a place of comfort, security, warmth, closeness, and familiarity. The act of nursing is not just nourishing; it is nurturing. Keep in mind that these needs are every bit as real as baby's physical ones, and having them met is every bit as needful to baby's overall development.

If the amount that your child sleeps and nurses at night isn't a major problem for you, then there's no reason to try to change anything. You are not doing a bad thing by nursing on demand; you are doing a wonderful thing for your baby. When you comfort baby at night, you are not teaching her a bad habit: you are teaching her that you are there for her when she needs you. Is security a bad habit?

What is normal when it comes to baby's sleep?

It is common for breastfed babies to not sleep through the night for a long period of time. On the other hand, some breastfed babies start sleeping through the night when a few months old.

Both of my children nursed once (occasionally more) at night through their second year. Since this doesn't bother me, I did doing nothing to change it. We co-sleep, and neither my baby nor I generally wake up completely when she nurses. Both started sleeping through the night on their own, when they were ready.

Your baby will begin to comfort herself and to sleep for longer stretches at her own developmental pace. If your baby wants to nurse at night, it is because she does need this, whether it's because she is hungry or because she wants to be close to Mom. Sleeping through the night is a developmental milestone - like walking or toilet training - that your baby will reach when she is ready to. Trying to force or coax baby to reach this before her time may result in other problems later on.

If you can try to take a more relaxed approach and trust that it will come in time, you'll see your baby eventually become a good sleeper. You'll be able to rest peacefully in your heart and mind knowing that she reached this in her own time when she felt secure enough to do so, not because she had no other choice but to quiet herself because no one would come.

Probably one of the main reasons that night-waking babies are such a big issue is that parents don't have realistic expectations of the sleep patterns of babies. We are bombarded with magazine articles and books that perpetuate the myth that babies should not have nighttime needs. Babies were designed to wake up often at night to feed and cuddle, and keep in mind that many adults wake during the night, too. If our expectations for babies were not so different from our babies' expectations for themselves, much of this "problem" might disappear.

Why do babies wake at night?

Babies wake at night for many reasons, and they often start waking at night after sleeping through for a few months. Some of the reasons for night waking (in no particular order) are:

baby wants more time with mom

teething

developmental advances (for example: waking more often right before or after learning to turn over, crawl or talk)

illness, allergy, diaper rash, eczema

hunger (including growth spurts)

reverse cycling: Some babies whose moms are away during the day prefer to reject most/all supplements while mom is away, and nurse often during the evening and night. If mom is very busy during the day or if baby is very distracted, this can also lead to reverse cycling.

When your child nurses more often at night, go through this checklist to see if you can figure out what might be going on. Sometimes there may be more than one thing causing the night waking.

Remember that night waking in babies and young children is normal and temporary!

Children grow out of night waking, even when we do nothing to discourage it. This period of time will be a very tiny part of your child's years with you.

Your goal is to maximize sleep for everyone in the family, while respecting the needs of your child. If you're meeting this goal, then ignore anyone who suggests that you do things differently. All parents find that they change the way they do things as their child grows older and reaches different developmental stages - sleep is just another thing that changes as your child grows.




© Kelly Bonyata, BS, IBCLC, KellyMom.com. Reprinted with permission.

http://naturalchild.com/guest/kelly_bonyata.html

Creating More Nurturing Environments for Children

Creating More Nurturing Environments for Children

by Pam Leo

"The sun illuminates only the eye of man, but shines into the eye and the heart of the child."

– Ralph Waldo Emerson


Given a choice, young children will usually choose to be in a natural environment. They want to be outdoors, in the fresh air and sunlight, barefoot and naked, surrounded by grass, trees, and flowers, hearing the birds and the wind, playing in water with sticks and rocks. If you ask most grade school children what is their favorite part of school, they say outdoor recess. When children spend time outside where they can run, jump, climb, swing, swim, and play, they eat better, sleep better and are happier. We all know that children thrive in the outdoors. Yet we often forget how much the environment can affect a child's mood and behavior. When children spend too much time inside breathing stale air, hearing the hum of all the lights, electrical appliances, and the television, surrounded by synthetic fabrics, playing with plastic toys, eating foods that contain artificial coloring and preservatives, they get cranky and disagreeable.

Our environment affects us all and we all have different sensitivities, but children do not have the filters that most adults have acquired. Children absorb all the sights, sounds, smells, textures and emotions around them. Environments that meet adult needs or that adults can tolerate often feel very different to children. The philosophy that "it's a cold, cruel world out there and children may as well get used to it right now" is completely counter-productive to raising children to be as whole, healthy, and resilient as possible.

The author, educator, and one of my personal heroes, John Holt, compared human beings to bonsai trees. If you take a tree seedling and clip its roots and branches in a certain way and limit its supply of water, air and sun you can produce a tiny, twisted tree. A bonsai tree is a deformed miniature of the tall, straight tree the seedling had the potential to be had it been given the sun, air, water, soil and food it needed. And so it is with children. They cannot realize their potential if they are given only a limited supply of the things they need to thrive.

Children have very little control over their environment. They must depend on us to keep them safe and to meet their basic physical needs. They must also depend on us to do our best to provide for them the most nurturing physical and emotional environment possible. When a child's environment is not meeting his needs or is causing stress, he may not be able to identify those needs or stresses let alone communicate them with words. Children communicate their stress and their needs through their behavior. A child's behavior is always telling us something. Acting-out behavior is usually a call for help. A child's behavior may be telling us, "I'm over-stimulated" or "I need space to move around." When we tell a child to "stop behaving that way" what they may hear is "stop trying to tell me what's wrong or what you need." My many years of experience of being with children has taught me that when we take the time to try to figure out what their behavior is telling us, looking at their environment is a useful place to begin.

A child's behavior is always telling us something. If a child melts down at the grocery store when you tell her she may not have a candy bar, is her behavior manipulation or is it a communication that she can't handle disappointment on top of sensory overload from the florescent lights and the hum of the refrigeration units? If a child continues to climb over the back of the couch when you have repeatedly told him to stop, is the child trying to get the attention he needs or is he expressing his body's need for something appropriate to climb on? How will we know when a child's behavior is a communication of a stress or an unmet need related to the environment? When we look at a child's environment to try to figure out what might be causing his behavior, we need to consider every part of it. The air children breathe, the light they see by, the words and sounds they hear, the food they eat, the water they drink, the feel of the clothes they wear, the things they play with, and the attitudes and emotions of the people around them all affect how they grow, develop, think, feel and behave.

There is considerable research confirming that when children are given what they need to build a solid foundation in the early years, they have more strength to deal with whatever comes their way later. Children are like seedlings. When we raise seedlings in a greenhouse, in rich soil with good drainage and provide them the right amount of water and sunlight, and protect them from the wind, they grow deep roots and sturdy stocks. When it's time to transplant them out into the world they will be not only hardy enough to survive, but vigorous enough to thrive. Children are not that different from seedlings. If we want them to develop deep roots and sturdy stocks so that they will be hardy enough to survive and vigorous enough to thrive, we must make their home their greenhouse. The family must be a rich soil that nourishes them. We must provide them with the water of our love, the sunshine of our attention and our protection from the winds of stress that weaken them.
Providing our children with nurturing environments is more of a challenge in today's world than it has ever been. Many children do not live in homes with yards and gardens to explore or in neighborhoods where they can spend hours playing outside. Even the children who do live in such places often have so many scheduled activities that they have very little time to spend in their yards and gardens. Many children are spending more of their time inside buildings than outdoors at earlier and earlier ages. When children are in school, unless they participate in outdoor sports, they spend most of their time inside.

Just as children have little control over their environment, there are many things parents have little control over in our world environment. None of us alone has the power to end all the crime, violence, hunger, pollution, and injustice in the world. Every day when we step outside our door, these dangers are still going to be out there. What we do have the power to do is to create home, school and community environments that nurture and protect our children's potential. To do this will require that we make some changes. Many parents already feel stretched to their limit trying to juggle earning a living and just making sure their children are in a safe environment. We may think we don't have the time or the energy to make the changes we would need to make to create a better environment.

Creating more nurturing environments will actually give us more time and more enjoyable time with our children. Struggling with children's unmet-need behaviors is time-consuming and tiring. The more time children spend in environments that nurture them, the more delightful they are to be with. The few hours we spend putting up a hammock in the yard or on the porch will give us back many hours of joy and comfort, hanging out in the hammock, telling and reading stories, cuddling and watching the clouds go by together. Creating more nurturing spaces will look different for every family depending on what they have to work with. The size doesn't matter. Even small changes can make a big difference in our children's lives. Whether we plant a big garden full of flowers or put little pots of petunias on our stairs, seeing and smelling those flowers will nurture everyone in the family.

So, how do we create more nurturing environments for children? I spent months researching this idea and a great deal of time and energy this spring and summer creating a more nurturing environment for the child in me and for the children in my life.

Have you ever heard young children talk about how much they love it when the power goes out? Without electricity no one is on the computer or watching television. The whole family gathers in one room by candlelight and tells stories or plays games. Our lives today are often so hectic that many homes feel more like a home base where the family sleeps, showers, does laundry, stores their belongings, sometimes cooks and eats meals, and watches television. For the first seven years of life children need their home and family to be their most nurturing environment. Since many young children now spend more of their waking hours away from home than at home, they need a nurturing home environment more than ever.

Creating nurturing environments for our children means meeting their physical survival needs of food, clothing, shelter and protection. Creating environments in which children can thrive means consciously creating warm, loving, sensory rich environments where their physical, emotional and spiritual needs are recognized, honored, and met by their family and their community. It is true that children "live what they learn". Children absorb and imitate what they experience in their environment. Their exterior environment molds their interior environment. Just as area is a product of length times width, human beings are a product of nature times nurture. The potential children are born with will be limited by or nurtured by their environment. A nurturing environment is one that gives children the security and opportunity to discover themselves and their world.

In a nurturing environment the family spends more time gathered around the table than around the television. The family table is where the family is both nourished and nurtured. Working on projects, drinking hot cocoa, playing board games, learning to peel carrots and roll out cookie dough, having tea parties and eating birthday cake together turns the family table into a nurturing "center" where many of the most important, interesting and nurturing things happen in the home.

A rocking chair is an essential piece of furniture in a nurturing environment. Children crave the nurturing of touch. Whether we are soothing a baby or reading stories to a young child, rocking is nurturing to both the adult and the child. Children rarely refuse an invitation to be rocked, especially if it also means hearing a story or a song. The rocking chair should be in the room where we will use it the most. We love rocking chairs so much we have one or two in almost every room. Outside, a hammock creates another nurturing place to cuddle, read, sing, tell stories and rock.

Gathering around a fire has always been a symbol of physical and emotional warmth. Children love gathering around a campfire or fireplace. Even if we don't go camping or have a fireplace or wood stove to gather around, simply lighting a candle at the dinner table can create the warm feeling of gathering around the fire. Another quick, and convenient source of warmth is the clothes dryer. Imagine how nurturing it feels to get out of a bath and be wrapped in a warm bath towel and dressed in warm flannel pajamas. One of our favorite warm comforts is the rice pillow you heat up in the microwave to warm cold feet, sooth aching muscles or just to cuddle up with.

Children love to be in or near water. Just filling a plastic tub with water and some empty containers provides hours of contentment for young ones. Whenever we take children to the ocean, the lake, the river, a pool, or put them in the bathtub, we provide a nurturing environment. A table fountain is now in the same price range as a toaster and a fountain brings the soothing sight and sound of water right into our home. The place everyone wants to sit at our house is in the rocking chair that faces the wood stove and is beside our table fountain.

When we garden with children they feel connected to the earth and nature. Children need to touch the earth and feel connected to living things. They love to dig in the dirt, plant seeds and seedlings and watch them grow. Even if we don't have space for a garden or know the first thing about it we can still give our children the nurturing experience of gardening. We can put a seed in a jar of soil, transplant marigolds into a window box, plant a tree on a child's birthday or measure and record the amazing daily growth of an amaryllis during the holidays. Any connection to living, growing things creates a nurturing environment for children.

The living things most children love to be connected to are animals. Most children dream of having a pet to love and care for. I once read that it is a good thing for children to have animals to care for - it reminds them that humans are not the only living creatures on the earth. Children love to feed the ducks, birds and squirrels in the park. Hanging a birdfeeder where children can watch it through the window is a great way to give children a connection to nature. Even if our living situation does not allow pets, we can provide children with access to animals through friends, relatives, neighbors and community.

Part of creating nurturing environments is spending time with our children in nurturing places. With everyone in the family so often going in different directions, it's important that families have places to go together. The local library provides the family with more than books. When we attend story hours and special activities, the library becomes a nurturing environment for our children. For many families their place of worship provides a nurturing environment. One of the most family-friendly, nurturing environments I know is a local family dance at every second and fourth Saturday. The dances are taught each time so parents and children can learn them together. There is live music and children dance with their parents, siblings and other families. Afterward there is a potluck dinner for all the hungry dancers. Parents have as much fun as the children do - it's great exercise, and a wonderful opportunity to experience community.

As children get older they have a greater need for the nurturing of community. Parenting never used to be and was never intended to be a one- or two-person job. It does take a village to raise a child. Since we no longer live in villages, creating a community for our children is vital to creating a nurturing environment. The calendar in Parent & Family is a rich resource that lists many activities and events families can do together. When we create opportunities for children to spend time with people who play musical instruments, tell stories, dance, sing, paint, garden, cook, sew, knit, weave and build things, we provide a nurturing environment for their imagination, creativity, and self-esteem.

One of the most important aspects of a nurturing environment is ritual. If we grew up in a family where rituals were an important part of family life we are more likely to perpetuate rituals in our own family, but even if we don't recall many rituals, we can create new ones for our family. Lighting a candle at the dinner table, reading at bedtime, having pizza on Friday night, picking apples in the fall, and carving pumpkins at Halloween become rituals when we do them consistently. Daily, weekly, and seasonal rituals give children a sense of security, stability, and belonging. These family rituals become an anchor for children as they navigate their way through a world filled with inconsistency and uncertainty.

One of the reasons children love the holidays is the nurturing rituals that accompany them. The things we do with our children give them more than anything we can ever buy for them. Decorating our home, preparing special foods, making gifts of love, and attending special services, gatherings, and performances together create the nurturing environment that families need throughout the year. When we learn to incorporate all the nurturing elements of the holidays into our daily lives we can keep the spirit of the holidays alive in our hearts and our homes all year.




© Pam Leo, Reprinted with permission.

Pam Leo is a Parent Educator in Gorham, Maine. She has been a student and teacher of human development for more than 25 years. She is a mother, a grandmother, a parent educator, childbirth educator, a doula, a feature writer for Parent & Family, a motivational speaker on parenting and birth, and a sponsor of community education events. Her life work is to "help create a society in which all parents have the information, resources and support to raise children who can realize the promise of their potential." For more information on attending or scheduling a workshop for your place of business, visit her website or write to her at pamleo (at) hotmail (dot) com.

http://naturalchild.com/guest/pam_leo3.html

Vodka

The Many Uses of Vodka

By: Dahlia Rideout 

Aside from being a fantastic drink, vodka has many uses which you may not have known about. Since vodka is one of the world's most popular drinks, many of us have a bottle handy in the home. And since its typically filtered and pure, it makes a handy liquid to have around.

Here are a few uses:

1. To remove a bandage painlessly, saturate the bandage with vodka. The solvent dissolves adhesive
2. To clean the caulking around bathtubs and showers, fill a trigger-spray bottle with vodka, spray the caulking, let set five minutes and wash clean. The alcohol in the vodka kills mold and mildew.
3. Clean jewelry. Soak the jewelry in vodka for five minutes, then rinse, and dry.
4. Clean lipstick from clothing. Rub the stain with vodka, then throw into your regular wash.
5. Remove the glue left behind by a bumper sticker. Rub the glue with a soft, clean cloth soaked with vodka
6. Prolong the life of razors by filling a cup with vodka and letting your safety razor blade soak in the alcohol after shaving. The vodka disinfects the blade and prevents rusting.
7. Spray vodka on vomit stains, scrub with a brush, then blot dry.
8. Using a cotton ball, apply vodka to your face as an astringent to cleanse the skin and tighten pores.
9. Add a jigger of vodka to a 12-ounce bottle of shampoo. The alcohol cleanses the scalp, removes toxins from hair, and stimulates the growth of healthy hair.
10. Fill a sixteen-ounce trigger-spray bottle and spray bees or wasps to kill them.
11. Pour one-half cup vodka and one-half cup water in a Ziplock freezer bag and freeze for a slushy, refreshable ice pack for aches, pain or black eyes.
12. Fill a clean, used mayonnaise jar with freshly packed lavender flowers, fill the jar with vodka, seal the lid tightly and set in the sun for three days. Strain liquid through a coffee filter, then apply the tincture to aches and pains.
13. To relieve a fever, use a washcloth to rub vodka on your chest and back as a liniment.
14. To cure foot odor, wash your feet with vodka.
15. vodka will disinfect and alleviate a jellyfish sting.
16. Pour vodka over an area affected with poison ivy to remove the urushiol oil from your skin.
17. Swish a shot of vodka over an aching tooth. Allow your gums to absorb some of the alcohol to numb the pain.
18. Soothe a sore throat. Add a tablespoon of vodka to glass of warm water and gargle. The alcohol helps numb the sore throat.
19. Eliminate swimer's ear. If you don't have rubbing alcohol, fill an eardropper with vodka, and squeeze it into the affected ear, then let it drain out

Article source: Miss Charming.com.

First published March 2008  

Shampoo!

Got my new Aubrey Organics shampoo today! I can't wait to try it out! It's their Calaguala Fern treatment shampoo. - Cleanses, tones & clarifies for healthy hair & scalp. This should be good for my dandruff. Here's the ingredients:

Deionized Water
Coconut Oil-Corn Oil soap
Soap Bark Extract
Yucca Root Extract
Carrageenan
White Pine Bark Extrace
Organic Lemon Peel Oil
Calaguala Extract
Cade Wood Essential Oil
Organic Evening Primrose Oil
Aubrey's Preservative (Citrus Seed Extrace, Vitamins A, C and E)

It's Vegan and uses no animal testing!

Here's their site - www.aubrey-organics.com

The Downside of Due Dates

The Downside of Due Dates

 

 

After a woman finds out she is pregnant, one of the first pieces of information she usually wants to know is "When am I due?"As the due date approaches, both the woman and the health care provider begin to get anxious about whether the baby will be overdue.  If the baby has not been born by the 41st week of gestation, most doctors and midwives will start to talk about induction of labor.  Most people do not realize that due dates are almost never accurate, and are only of use to the medical establishment so that they have a basis upon which to "manage" your labor.  Managed labor leads to most of the complications seen in birth today, and is dangerous for mother and baby.

No two women gestate for the same length of time.  The 244 days of gestation used to calculate from your last period is an "average."  It does not represent the "ideal" length of pregnancy.  As long as you have reached at least 36 weeks since the first day of your last period, it is probably safe for your baby to be born, at whatever time he or she chooses.  Only the baby knows when he or she is fully developed and ready to be born, and only he or she knows when it is safe and best to be born.  Calculating an estimated due date only makes one anxious about when the baby is going to come, and contributes to the fear that causes complications.  In my work with birth, I have personally known women who gave birth anywhere from 36 to 47 weeks, and they have all had healthy babies.

Complications occur when the natural gestation, labor, and birthing process are not honored, and someone begins to try to intervene in the process to speed things along.  No doctor, midwife, or any other birth "professional" has the knowledge or the right to tell you that your birth is "overdue."  Every cell of your body is genetically encoded with the information about how and when to give birth, and this genetic coding has been passed on to the baby so that the baby's body knows when it is best to be born.  In addition to this genetic information, the baby has learned a great deal about you during your pregnancy - he or she has felt the same emotions you feel, and has a pretty good idea whether it is safe to come out or not.  Your emotional outlook has everything to do with when your baby decides to be born, and if you are stressed, this inhibits the body's ability to produce oxytocin, the hormones responsible for labor contractions.  So you see, we have really no right to interfere with the safe, healthy birth our bodies are trying to create.  This is one reason for the high rate of complications seen in hospital births today.

However, if you still want to calculate an "estimated" due date, here is the most reliable method:

1.  Start with the first day of your last menstrual period.

2.  Subtract 3 months.

3.  Add:

     15 days if this is your first birth
     10 days if this is not your first birth
 

This represents an estimated due date, but should NOT be used for diagnostic purposes.  It really has no usefulness at all except to let you know when you have reached 36 weeks.  After that, your baby could probably be born safely at any time. Only 5% of babies are born on their due dates, which tells you how accurate this date is.

We must begin to trust our bodies, trust that they were designed to give birth and they can do it efficiently and safely without any help from anyone.  Even if you know nothing about birth, as long as you are alone when giving birth and not influenced by the presence of others around you, your body will lead you to do exactly what you need to do to have a healthy birth.  It is when we are influenced by the presence of others that we aren't listening to our bodies and our needs, and we allow things to occur that can cause problems.  Trust and faith in ourselves are necessary.  Women have been giving birth alone, without assistance for centuries.  It is only in the recent past that women have been led to believe by the medical "authorities" that it is dangerous, that there must be someone "trained" at the birth.  The disempowerment that this creates has caused women to doubt themselves and their abilities.  It has caused them to doubt their worth as women because they are told their bodies can't give birth without help.

There are many explanations for why women do not give birth on their due dates.  One reason is that the soul which enters the baby has made plans before coming into this life.  They have decided why they are coming, what their purpose is, what kind of obstacles they will face, what kind of personality traits they will have which will contribute to learning their lessons and perfecting their soul, and how long they need to be here to accomplish this.  The Bible says "All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be" (Psalm 139:16).  So before that baby ever comes in, it has decided how long it is staying.  This relieves the guilt that might occur when a baby dies.  It has also decided when it is going to be born based upon the traits that the soul needs to instill in the psyche.  The position of the stars and planets at the time of birth does affect these inborn traits, so sometimes a baby will be a month early or late in order to be born during the right astrological sign.  The soul of the babies themselves control this, so there is no way a doctor or any other health care professional can say, based upon the calendar, that you are "overdue."  You do not know what is going on behind the scenes.  Many people do not place any faith in the idea that the stars and planets have anything to do with an individual's personality traits.   However, if the magnetic pull of our moon is capable of moving all our oceans, raising and lowering the tide, then it is definitely feasible that the magnetic pull of the stars and planets can effect our bodily fluids and the electrical and chemical reactions that take place within the body.  So it is not difficult to believe this.

Also, though it is sad to think about, sometimes souls come in just to experience pregnancy and the birth process, and that's all they have planned for.  They don't have any intention of continuing on, and so often their passing is attributed to birth complications, when it was simply that they had fulfilled their lifeplan for this incarnation, and it was time to go.  Expectant parents need to prepare themselves ahead of time for the possibility that this can occur.  Respect the soul that is coming in and don't be too upset if something happens.  Also realize that, in the scheme of things, you also planned this in your own chart before you came here.  You planned to experience the loss of a baby (although they are not really lost) and so this is something you must fulfill.  It is a healthy part of your growth process, and should not necessarily be looked upon as a negative event.  It is possible to be sad that you will not get to spend a lifetime with that baby, while at the same time be in awe of the soul that came and that they are continuing on their journey, as well as being proud that you were chosen by them as the perfect parents to experience this with.  We don't want to dwell on the fact that this can happen, because we want to create a positive atmosphere for birth, so just be aware that it can happen, but does so very infrequently.

There is a legitimate need for medical intervention in less than 5% of all births.  The need for most of these interventions we cause ourselves.  We are completely responsible for the outcome of our own births.  We call the shots, unless we hand over that authority to some other person, usually a doctor, midwife, or family member.  There is no reason to fear the birth process, and no need to worry about our due date.  In keeping with our theme of unhindered living, putting too much faith in due dates does "hinder" the natural birth process.  The main reason for a due date is so that a medical professional can pressure you into have an induced labor.  Please do not allow anyone to induce your labor based upon your due date.  Pitocin is a dangerous drug, and induced labors are much more dangerous than allowing the baby to be "overdue" and come when they are ready.

http://www.unhinderedliving.com/downside.html
 

Vaccinations: Helpful or Harmful?

I wrote this for my senior research paper. I could have added so much more information, but was restricted by time and length.




Vaccinations: Helpful or Harmful?
Tuesday, May 16th, 2006

Questioning and researching vaccinations is becoming more common. More and more parents are deciding not to have their children vaccinated because of what they found out when they did their research. I felt the risks associated with vaccination was higher than the benefits of vaccinating. The diseases vaccinated against are so rare now, due to sanitation and germ awareness. The side-effects of vaccinations are more common. I don’t even want my daughter having so much as a fever if she doesn’t need to. Proudly, she is 2 years old and has never been sick, and I attribute part of this to the fact that I haven’t bombarded her immune system with things such as formaldehyde, aluminum, mercury, and aborted fetal tissue. (Harris n.p.).

Vaccines contain harmful, and even cancer causing ingredients, such as Formaldehyde, Phenol, Lactalbumin Hydrolysate, Aluminum Phosphate, Glutaraldehyde, Polysorbate 20/80, Beta-propiolactone, Anti-freeze (found in the Polio vaccine), Mycoplasma, and Mercury. Other ingredients include: aborted human fetal tissue, latex, human and animal viruses, foreign DNA, and gelatin (which is bad if you’re Muslim, where putting gelatin into your body is forbidden.). This is only a sample of what is in these supposedly “safe” vaccinations. All of these ingredients are harmful to the human body and cause many things such as kidney disorders, convulsions, behavioral disorders, cancer, joint pain, sterility, and blood disorders. Vaccines have been linked with brain damage, lower I.Q., ADD, other learning disabilities, and autism.

Vaccinations compromise one’s immune system. Hugh H. Fudenberg, MD, considered by many to be one of the leading immunologists of our times, has pointed out that there is a uniquely close association between the nervous system and the immune system with many cell receptors common to both systems. (Singh, VK, Fudenberg HH. 47)
“If immunologic injuries are brought about by vaccines, it is reasonable to assume that they may at times be transferred to the brain and nervous system, this, in turn, can result in various forms of neurobehavioral problems.” (Coulter, HL. n.p.) Non-vaccinated children are generally healthier than vaccinated children. Vaccines ruin the body’s natural ability to fight off disease, and they suppress our immune system making us more vulnerable to disease. When a virus enters our nasal or oral passages, white blood cells respond to move in and destroy the invading virus. It is then inactivated before it enters our body. Immunity is strengthened through nutrition, not by injecting toxins into our blood stream. Lack of nutrition, along with vaccinations, will weaken the immune system. Having a nutritious diet will make your immune system stronger and it will have a greater chance of being open to attack viruses. Also, vaccines are connected to SIDS. “Both national and international studies have shown vaccination to be a cause of SIDS (SIDS is “Sudden Infant Death Syndrome,” a “catch all” diagnosis given when the specific cause of death is unknown; estimates range from 5,000 - 10,000 cases each year in the U.S.). (Dudley 102)

Vaccinations are also a leading cause of autism. Before the 1950’s or so children weren’t vaccinated until they were ready for school at age 6. Autism was very uncommon then. “The Centers for Disease Control in a report released in April 2000 found the incidence of autism in Brick Township, New Jersey in 1998 was 1 in 150 children, which may be more reflective of the true rate of autism in the U.S. today.” (Autism & Vaccines….n.p.). The rate of autism is steadily rising.

Vaccinations are not even 100% effective. “There is no such thing as a “Perfect” vaccine which protects everyone who receives it AND is entirely safe for everyone” (WHO n.p.) In other words, even if you do get vaccinated, you are still able to get the disease which you were vaccinated against.

In conclusion, vaccines are not 100% effective, they contain harmful ingredients, they suppress your immune system, and they have serious side effects, which include autism, SIDS, behavior problems and convulsions, to name a few.



References:

Autism & Vaccines: A New Look At An Old Story. 909shot.com. 2000 15 http://www.909shot.com/Diseases/autismsp.htm

Coulter, H.L. Vaccination, Social Violence, and Criminality. Berkeley, CA: North Atlantic Books; 1990. Dudley, William. Epidemics Opposing Viewpoints. San Diego, Cali: Lucent Books Inc., 1992. 102.


Harris, Lea. Personal Interview. 15 May 2006

Singh, VK, Fudenberg, H.H. Can blood immunocytes be used to study neuropsychiatric disorders? 1986. 592-595. J Clin Psychiatry 47 (12).

What is the recommended childhood immunization schedule? Vaccineprotection.com. 2006. 15 May 2006 http://www.vaccineprotection.com/professional/faq.cfmWorld Health Organization (WHO). Adverse events following immunization (AEFI). who.int. 2006. 15 May 2006 http://who.int/immunization_safety/aefi/en/

UC Article

http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSL2148514320070522

"Does a mother not owe a duty of care to her baby? Should a mother not take reasonable care to protect the baby when she gives birth? And if she does not take reasonable care -- and the standard should be objective not subjective -- why should a baby who has sustained avoidable brain damage due to the mother's negligence not take action against his mother?"

When I read this part, I thought to myself... what if I replaced mother with doctor. Then it would say...

Does a doctor not owe a duty of care to a baby? Should a doctor not take reasonable care to protect the baby when delivering? And if s/he does not take reasonable care -- and the standard should be objective not subjective -- why should a baby who has sustained avoidable brain damage due to the doctor's negligence not take action against his doctor?


IMHO, if people are able to sue their parents over how their births went wrong, then people certainly SHOULD be able to sue the medical industry when they jump in to intervene too quickly and things go wrong as well.

my response:

Overall good article. and i highly disagree with that doc who said childbirth is the most dangerous thing a woman would do in her life (or something to that affect). What about all the women who go sky diving and such..surely that is much more dangerous than giving birth. Heck, i'd even say that driving a car could be more dangerous than giving birth.

I also think women who do this are a bit more in tune with their bodies, because they aren't relying on someone else.

And yes, i will still freebirth despite what people say.

So, you think circumcision prevents STDs?

Since researchers published the first study reporting that circumcision is an effective intervention in the HIV/AIDS fight, many have been suspect of the findings. It now appears that those suspicions were well founded.

I have been appraised of a letter to the editor of The Lancet, the journal of The British Medical Association from lead researcher, William Bailey. In the letter, Bailey shares some previously unpublished information about his study.

http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140673607607387/fulltext

In Bailey's letter, he shares that the intervention group (the circumcised men) reported condom use up from 22% to 36%. That is the exact increase to gain a 61% protective factor. This indicates that the men's circumcisions played no part in the lower infection rate but instead, the condoms were the protective factor. In the later studies that reported 48% and 52% protective factors, it would indicate that circumcision actually increased the men's susceptibility to HIV/AIDS.

Additionally, the circumcised group reported that they had reduced their number of sexual partners. The percentage of men with more than two sexual partners decreased from 42% to 33%. This would put them at less risk of contracting HIV/AIDS.

This new information turns the studies completely upside down and appear to strongly suggest that the circumcised men were substantially more likely to contract HIV/AIDS.

Vaccination Poem

This poem was written by a real mother whose child had a very severe adverse reaction to a vaccination..

The Vaccination

By Patricia Crutchfield

His trusting eyes looked up at me
He smiled his sweetest smile
What a precious gift from God he was
My son my first born child,

The nurse came in and weighed him
Put a thermometer briefly in his ear
Then she told me to take off his diaper
And expose his plump little rear.

I did as I was instructed
For I knew the procedure by now
It’s time for his next vaccination
This time I won’t flinch, I vow.

The syringes and vial of the serums
Lay benignly on her sterile steel tray
And though I try to watch her,
I find myself turning away.

His scream at the prick of the needle
Sends a bolt of pure terror through me
It’s animal like pitch was not normal
And I turned around quickly to see.

His beautiful body went rigid
Then spasmed again and again
What’s happening to my poor baby?
And what can I do to help him?

I could sense the nurse’s pure panic
As she called out to the doctor to come
The seconds that passed seems like hours
And where is that screaming coming from?

I open my eyes in a room filled with light
The silence a deafening roar
My husband is standing beside me
He says everything fine, but his tears tell me more

I try to sit up, but I’m weary
Another needle pierces my arm
I drift off once again into darkness
But my mind beats a steady alarm.

Two days and two nights I am sedated
Until now no one tells me why
Then the doctor appears with my husband
And immediately I start to cry

My most precious gift has been taken
He’ll never again be mine to hold
His body once so warm and loving
Now lays on a slab icy cold

I’m sorry says the good doctor
A reaction we couldn’t foresee
Please accept my sincerest condolence
I guess it was just meant to be

Our son now plays with the angels
And my heart breaks anew everyday
Its the angels who tickle his tummy
And it’s in their arms not mine, he will lay

A statistic, one in seventeen hundred
That’s what they say of my son
But I say one child is too many
To die from a vaccination

So mothers do not be so trusting
Hear me before it’s to late
Don’t lose your child to the “program”
Investigate before you vaccinate

A Baby Cries: How Should Parents Respond?

A Baby Cries: How Should Parents Respond?

by Jan Hunt, M.Sc.

Imagine for a moment that you have been abducted by space ship to a distant planet, and you are surrounded by giant strangers whose language you do not speak. Two of those strangers take you under their care. You are entirely dependent on them for the satisfaction of all your needs - hunger, thirst, comfort, and - especially - reassurance that you are safe in this strange place. Then imagine that something is very wrong - you are in pain, or terribly thirsty, or in need of emotional support. But your two attendants ignore your cries of distress, and you are unable to get them to help you or to understand your needs. Now you have another problem, more serious than the first: you feel completely helpless and alone in an alien world.

In all innocence, a baby assumes that we, as his parents, are correct - that whatever we do is what we ought to be doing. If we do nothing, the baby can only conclude that he is unloved because he is unlovable. It is not within his capabilities to conclude that we are only busy, distracted, worried, misled by "experts", or simply inexperienced as parents. No matter how deeply we love our baby, it is mostly the outward manifestations of that love that the baby can understand.

No one likes to have his communication ignored. and if it is, this brings on feelings of helplessness and anger that inevitably damage the relationship. Such a response seems to be one that is universally experienced by adults, and there is no reason to conclude that it is any different for babies and children. Few people would ignore an adult while he repeatedly said, "Can you help me? I'm not feeling right." Ignoring such a request would be considered most unkind. But a baby cannot make such a statement; he can only cry and cry until someone responds - or until he gives up in despair.

Immediate response to a baby's cry went unquestioned for thousands of years until recent times. In our culture, we assume that crying is normal and unavoidable for babies. Yet in natural societies where babies are carried close to the care-giver much of the day and night for the first several months, such crying is rare. In contrast to what many in our society would expect, babies cared for in this way show self-sufficiency sooner than do babies not receiving such care.

In fact, research on early childhood experiences consistently shows that children who have enjoyed the most loving care in infancy become the most secure and loving adults, while those babies who have been forced into submissive behavior build up feelings of resentment and anger that may well be expressed later in harmful ways.

In spite of this research, most arguments for ignoring crying are based on fears of "spoiling" the baby. A typical baby-care brochure advises the parent to "let the baby handle it for a while". Though infancy can be a challenging time for the parents, a baby is simply too young and inexperienced to "handle" the cause of the crying, whatever it may be. He cannot feed himself, change himself, or comfort himself in the way that nature intended. Clearly, it is the parents' responsibility to meet their baby's needs for nurturing, security, and love, not the baby's responsibility to meet his parents' need for peace and solitude.

The pamphlet implies that if the parents give their baby an opportunity to become self-reliant, they are helping him to mature. But an infant is simply not capable of such maturity. True maturity reflects a strong foundation of emotional security that can only come about from the love and support of those closest to him during the earliest years.

An immature person can only respond to stress in an immature way. A baby denied his birthright of comforting from his parents may respond by turning to ineffective self-stimulation (head-banging, rhythmic rocking, thumb-sucking, etc.) and emotional withdrawal from others. If his needs are routinely ignored, he may decide that loneliness and despair are preferable to risking further disappointment and rejection. Unfortunately, this decision, once made, can become a permanent outlook on life, leading to an emotionally impoverished life.

Many child-care professionals feel that parental encouragement of self-satisfiers and over-substitution of material objects - teddy bears substituting for parents, strollers for arms, cribs for shared sleep, pacifiers for nursing, toys for parents' attention, music boxes for voices, formula for breast-milk, wind-up swings for laps - have led to an age of materialistic acquisition, personal loneliness and lack of emotional fulfillment.

Ignoring a baby's crying is like using earplugs to stop the distressing noise of a smoke detector. The sound of a smoke detector is meant to alert us to a serious matter that requires a response - and so is the cry of a baby. As Jean Liedloff wrote in The Continuum Concept, "a baby's cry is precisely as serious as it sounds."

Stressful though it may be, infant crying should be seen not as a power struggle between parent and child, but as a gift of nature to ensure that all babies can grow to adulthood with a generous capacity for love and trust.



http://www.naturalchild.org/jan_hunt/babycries.html

Apalling - New ACOG Policy out on Out-of-Hospital Births

Apalling - New ACOG Policy on Out-of-Hospital Births

Dear Friends,

It has just come to my attention that the Executive Board of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) in October issued a new “Statement of Policy” regarding out-of-hospital births in the US. The statement in its entirety is included below. You will note that there is no URL for this new policy statement. ACOG chose to make this policy statement available on-line only to their members, and did not provide any press release about it.

In the statement ACOG claims that studies (comparing hospital and out-of-hospital birth outcomes) are “limited” and “not scientifically rigorous”.

The following sentences summarizes their policy: “…ACOG strongly opposes out-of-hospital births. Although ACOG acknowledges a woman's right to make informed decisions regarding her delivery, ACOG does not support programs or individuals that advocate for or who provide out-of-hospital births.”

People I have spoken with have suggested several possible implications. One is that because ACOG essentially establishes the legal “standard of care,” this statement takes out-of-hospital birth AND free-standing birth centers out of the standard. This not only gives OBs a strong basis for refusing to even interact with midwives or others who even just advocate for OOH births, let alone provide that service, but makes those OBs who DO support birth centers or home births or work with home birth midwives at legal and professional risk. Furthermore, this supports the agenda of the American Medical Association’s recently formed Scope of Practice Partnership (SOPP), a coalition of state medical associations and national medical specialty societies (such as ACOG) whose purpose essentially is to oppose any attempt by health professionals to obtain legislation or rules that permit or extend practice without physician control. (Of course the latter includes all licensed midwives – CNMs, CPMs, etc.)

At this time, we do not have any suggestions for meaningful or effective consumer actions to take. However, if you know of an OB who is friendly to normal birth, out-of-hospital birth, the right of women to choose where they give birth, etc., especially if they are members of ACOG, it would not hurt to make sure they know about this new policy and might take whatever action they can take with ACOG.

Surely some other organizations will be producing statements; I will let you know about these as they come along.

Sincerely,
Susan Hodges, “gatekeeper”


Available only to ACOG members through their website. No press release on the website. As of 11/11/06

ACOG Statement of Policy
As issued by the ACOG Executive Board

OUT-OF-HOSPITAL BIRTHS IN THE UNITED STATES

Labor and delivery is a physiologic process that most women experience without complications. Ongoing surveillance of the mother and fetus is essential because serious intrapartum complications may arise with little or no warning, even in low risk pregnancies. In some of these instances, the availability of expertise and interventions on .an urgent or emergent basis may be life-saving for the mother, the fetus or the newborn and may reduce the likelihood of an adverse outcome. For these reasons, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) believes that the hospital, including a birthing center within a hospital complex, that conforms to the standards outlined by American Academy of Pediatrics and ACOG,(1) is the safest setting for labor, delivery, and the immediate postpartum period. ACOG also strongly supports providing conditions that will improve the birthing experience for women and their families without compromising safety.

Studies comparing the safety and outcome of U.S. births in the hospital with those occurring in other settings are limited and have not been scientifically rigorous. The development of well-designed research studies of sufficient size, prepared in consultation with obstetric departments and approved by institutional review boards, might clarify the comparative safety of births in different settings. Until the results of such studies are convincing, ACOG strongly opposes out-of-hospital births. Although ACOG acknowledges a woman's right to make informed decisions regarding her delivery, ACOG does not support programs or individuals that advocate for or who provide out-of-hospital births.

(1) American Academy of Pediatrics and /American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Guidelines for Perinatal Care, 5th Edition. Elk Grove Village, IL, AAP/ACOG, 2002.

Approved by the Executive Board October 2006

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists 409 12th Street, SW, PO Box 96920. Washington, DC 20090-6920 Telephone 202 6385577

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Visit the Citizens for Midwifery website at http://www.cfmidwifery.org

Importance of a 5 point harness carseat!

Importance of a 5 point harness carseat!

Please watch! It could save a life!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azgBhZfcqaQ

Mothers challenge taboo at 'Big Breastfeed' demo

Mothers challenge taboo at 'Big Breastfeed' demo

(AFP)
Updated: 2006-10-23 16:18

PARIS - One hundred young mothers gathered to breastfeed their babies in central Paris afternoon to campaign against the taboo on nursing in public.

"There are lots of prejudices against breastfeeding, especially in professional environments," said Marie-France Astoin, coordinator for the Big Breastfeed demonstration outside Paris's Sainte Eustache church, one of several taking place simultaneously in France's major cities.

Mothers breastfeed their babies in Paris during a gathering to show that breasfeeding still exist in France. [AFP]

Astoin decried France's level of breastfeeding, which at around 50 percent, is the lowest in Europe.

During the World Health Organisation's International Breastfeeding Week, the UN body and partner organisations are trying to promote mother's milk as a newborn's best defence against diarrhoea and respiratory infection.

"It's not at all a new feminist fight," said Monica, mother of Raphael.

"Nothing beats a mother's milk, it's natural, so why give something artificial in its place?"

Nearby, a young father ambled past wearing a placard marked "breast is best".

The Big Breastfeed movement kicked off in Manilla, the Philippines, six months ago, where Unicef gathered 5,000 mothers with their babies in an attempt to beat the world record for simultaneous nursing.

"The photo of this gathering has travelled around the world and a young woman from (the southern French port city) Marseille, Perle Hugot, decided to do the same thing here," said Astoin.

I just have to say that this is great! And isn't that sling in the very front right gorgeous!

A little about me

I'm Shelby. I'm an aspiring midwife. I've always been interested in childbirth and babies since i was little. I've always said that i was going to have my babies at home, in water (since i was about 13). I've never changed that thought. Lately i've been thinking of doing UC (unassisted childbirth) with my babies. I guess i shall see when that time comes. When i have kids, i'll be practicing AP (attachment parenting). Some things i will/will not be doing are:
I will practice child-led weaning (breastfeeding)
I will NOT vaccinate my children
My sons will NOT be circumscised
My kids will NOT cry it out
We'll do babywearing and co-sleeping
and some other things too.
I just moved to Tennessee, in with my granny. I love it down here.

So, if there's anything you'd like to know, feel free to ask. :)