C-sections might affect a new mother's ability to bond

Darkfrog submitted, created time 2 months 1 week (well.blogs.nytimes.com)

This is interesting. It's a New York Times writeup of a study in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry showing that women who deliver their children vaginally as opposed to by C-section are more responsive to the sound of infants crying a short time after the birth takes place.

There are some flaws in this study. First off, it only involved a small number of women, which increases the likelihood of statistical errors. Second, it does not show how whether this is a case of delayed attachment or stunted attachment. C-section moms might well catch up as time passes

2 comments | Blog It | Email It | Keywords: post-partum depression C-section caesarian section infants babies mothers womens health childbirth delivery natural childbirth attachment neurohormones hormones human behavior human reproduction bonding women

Fetal scalp sampling in labor--better for diagnosing hypoxia?

sea-maid submitted, created time 5 months 2 weeks (www.bmj.com)

Is scalp pH analysis more effective at diagnosing hypoxia in the fetus during labor than scalp lactate analysis? According to this randomised controlled multicenter trial of the two methods, acidemia at birth, operative interventions, low Apgar scores at five minutes, and admissions to neonatal intensive care units did not differ significantly. James P Neilson, professor of obstetrics and gynaecology, asks in an accompanying editorial if less invasive alternatives exist.

2 comments | Blog It | Email It | Keywords: human reproduction infants babies obstetrics childbirth birth hypoxia human development fetus Fetal surveillance