Posted on 03/12/2010 4:47:31 AM PST by Cardhu
Amnesty International may be best known to American audiences for bringing to light horror stories overseas such as the disappearance of political activists in Argentina or the abysmal conditions inside South African prisons under apartheid. But in a new report on pregnancy and childbirth care in the U.S., Amnesty details the maternal health care crisis in this country as part of a systemic violation of women's rights.
The report, titled "Deadly Delivery," notes that the likelihood of a woman dying in childbirth in the U.S. is five times greater than in Greece, four times greater than in Germany, and three times greater than in Spain. Every day in the U.S., more than two women die of pregnancy-related causes, with the maternal mortality ratio doubling from 6.6 deaths per 100,000 births in 1987 to 13.3 deaths per 100,000 births in 2006. (And as shocking as these figures are, Amnesty notes that the actual number of maternal deaths in the U.S. may be a lot higher since there are no federal requirements to report these outcomes and since data collection at the state and local levels needs to be improved.) "In the U.S., we spend more than any country on health care, yet American women are at greater risk of dying from pregnancy-related causes than in 40 other countries," says Nan Strauss, the report's co-author, who spent two years investigating the issue of maternal mortality worldwide. "We thought that was scandalous." (See the most common hospital mishaps.)
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Wonder what the rate of death is for women in abortions in the US ???
Unborn = 100%
Grown up = ???
My girlfriend and I were in Greece just last month. Unfortunately, we got sick there...I got better but we had to take her to the hospital, though I REALLY didn’t want to.
WHAT A SH**HOLE!!!
First off, they had a “rotating emergency system,” in which one hospital was the emergency hospital for one day, then a different hospital the next. We found this out after being advised to go to the wrong hospital.
Once we got there, there was no checking in with anyone, no priority based on severity of your situation; we just had to take a number. Literally. I had a slip that said “#86.”
5 or 6 of 15 people in the waiting room were just bums who were hungover and wanted a free IV drip and a warm place to sleep it off. Needless to say, that waiting room STUNK.
We finally talked to an English-speaking doctor, and she was nice and all, but not very thorough. There was no form to fill out while waiting in the lobby, so she just asked things off the top of her head. She didn’t ask about allergies or bad reactions to medicines, recent surgeries, or whether she’s on any prescription drugs. At least my girlfriend had wherewithal to volunteer everything she thought might be pertinent.
The doctor says “it’s probably a virus, you just have to let it run its course.” So she prescribed a couple of things (won’t get into the details there) and gave her a diet of crackers and coke, which was pretty much what we were already doing. Ha!
Oh yeah, and while we were hanging out in the waiting room, an old janitor came walking through, dragging a large trash bag, and left a large brown trail of liquid behind him. Right through the middle of the waiting room. When he came back, he saw it, mumbled something to himself, and didnt come back (and we were there at least another hour). Also, a construction worker pushed a wheelbarrow full of busted concrete through the waiting room.
But not to worry! They have job security!!!
Every day in the US, illegal aliens murder or injure
more than 100 Americans, and they rape more than 50
American children per day.
Where is NOW, Amnesty International or the drunk US Congress?
Hiding!!
I don’t call BS on this, I just don’t necessarily agree with their reasoning.
I think the health care community in this country needs to take a serious look at the rate of unnecessary inductions and high c-section (and repeat c-section) rate in this country. Some mothers are scheduling unnecessary inductions for convenience. Many mothers are pushed into inductions or c-sections when they aren’t necessary (and yes, I know some of them are necessary and life saving). Doctors have become so afraid of lawsuits that they won’t let mothers’ bodies do what they need to do. They push deadlines for having babies, deadlines for length of labor. And most refuse to perform VBACs (vaginal birth after cesarean) b/c of the “risks”, yet they fail to acknowledge the risk of major surgery.
We’ve put more limits on childbirth in this country than we have on abortion. It’s sickening. I searched high and low to find a doctor to perform my VBAC when I had my 2nd daughter last year. Couldn’t find one in the area. I finally found a wonderful midwife, who understood my desire for a pregnancy and birth with as little intervention as possible, to attend my homebirth. Best decision I made. And yet, even then there are limits. Many states have restrictions on midwifery. Some of them even make midwife attended home births illegal. My midwife, is is fully trained and licensed in Virginia, was not allowed to prescribe or carry medicine. So if I lost too much blood after the birth she wouldn’t have been able to give me pitocin to stop it. My daughter needed oxygen after the birth (cord issue that would have happened at the hospital too), but she wasn’t allowed to have any with her.
Hmm, I’ve rambled on a bit here. Sorry. A bit passionate about the subject.
“Most people in world come to US for their superior care.”
Cardhu:”Really?”
Hmm, like the premier of Newfoundland & Labrador Canada last month?
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/759760
>”Look, guys, you can “call bullsh*t” all you want but you have Amnesty International pointing the finger at LACK OF TORT REFORM being the root cause.”
Wrong. In order for your argument to stand, you have to accept the fact that the statistics from AI are correct. I do not believe it for one second. F*** AI and F*** their study. They have been trying to spread this lie for years and now, with the prevalence of those P.O.S. Liberals, seems like they are making headway. (I agree Tort reform is necessary, but agreeing with this so-called “study” crap in order to make a point (no matter how valid it is) is a no starter.) Just my HO.
No, they are communists!
Useful stat, FRiend. Thank you.
This is not a campaign for improved pre-natal care:
This is a campaign to make the idea of abortion more acceptable.
Childbirth is just too dangerous!!!
We can’t subject women to it!!!
Two years ago I was in Northern Italy (Turin/Milan) and every hospital we drove by looked dilapidated on the outside - God only knows how bad it was inside.
We have a winner! Pre-eclampsia (sudden ) is the #1 mortality risk factor to women during childbirth. And pre-eclampsia rates are directly proportional to obesity. Black women are 16 TIMES more likely to be obese than white women of the same age. Blacks have 10x the rate of diabetes as whites as well.
If they admitted it openly, they would be creamed.
Why do I smell the tench of the pro-aborts in this screed.
OK THIS is going to be controversial BUT....I would like to see a study regarding the increase of MUSLIM Docs, and WOMENs Health Care.
700 deaths per year in a nation of 300,000,000. That’s a small enough number that a study could look at EVERY one, and determine whether the dead mother already had access to free prenatal care (here, or in her nation of lawful residence).
Geeze, if Obama were fighting solely for free prenatal care for the poor (don’t they already have that?) it would be an annoyance that hardly reached my radar screen.
Sorry, but AI is not credible. There’s no such thing as a pro-abortion “human rights” organization.
No question many women have their first child over the age of 40. They tend to be white, educated and seek prenatal care.
The article says the high mortality rate is among the blacks.
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