Surrogacy pregnancies have an increased risk for adverse obstetric outcomes. In a study done among American woman, compared to non-surrogate pregnancies, surrogate mothers reported more complications during their surrogacy pregnancies such as hypertension, preeclampsia/eclampsia, and haemorrhaging. After the pregnancy they reported complications such as a degenerated disc, embolism, and postpartum depression. The chance of having a caesarean-section was 300% higher with a surrogate pregnancy. The percentage of caesarean-sections in non-surrogate mothers was 12.2%, compared to 35.5% in surrogate pregnancies. Most surrogate mothers felt they bonded with the babies they carried and many women stay in contact with the baby and their intended parents.
LIFEAlerts
Potential public health consequences of liberalising cannabis legislation (South Africa)
Laws that increase access to cannabis will have public health consequences including respiratory health, traffic-related injuries, and the mental health of vulnerable populations.Evidence highlights safety concerns that cannabis causes damage to the developing brain. Cannabis use can damage the brain to such an extent, that even after years of abstinence the damage is still present and it is not yet clear whether these effects are reversible. In particular, cannabis use during pregnancy increases the risk of adverse outcomes for women and their neonates.
Scientific research may not have kept pace with the speed at which cannabis laws are being liberalised. Consideration needs to be given to these public health concerns as South Africa moves towards ratifying the Cannabis for Private Purposes Bill.
Cannabis use amongst substance use disorder patients with ADHD (South Africa)
According to a recent study published in the South African Journal of Psychiatry, Attendion Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is more common amongst patients who use cannabis than amongst patients seeking other substance abuse treatments. ADHD is a common childhood neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by early onset of impairing levels of hyperactivity, inattention, and impulsiveness. The study provides evidence of significant cannabis use, especially in females with ADHD, in treatment-seeking facilities in South Africa. It is widely reported that several mental health disorders are overrepresented amongst substance abuse populations. According to the study, South Africa needs to strengthen prevention and intervention activities against alcohol and cannabis use, especially in identified risk groups, like ADHD.
Cannabis exposures reported to the Poison Information Helpline (South Africa)
South Africa decriminalised the use of cannabis for private use in a Constitutional court ruling during September 2018.
An observational study, of cannabis exposures reported to the Poison Information Helpline in the Western Cape. the University of Witwatersrand found that coinciding with the court ruling there was a threefold increase in cases reported to the Poison Information Helpline.
Accidental ingestion of edible cannabis products was a common occurrence in patients aged 12 years and younger, leading to neurological symptoms.
In general, there has been an increase in reports made to health care facilities of cannabis intoxication and other adverse effects in countries where cannabis has been legalised.
Cannabis use is not without consequences, health care practitioners should take note of the various adverse effects associated with its use.
Abortion and Women’s Health: An evidence-based review for medical professionals of the impact of abortion on women’s physical and mental health.
Written by Dr Greg Pike, the evidence-based review “Abortion and Women’s health”, reveals the horrific impact abortion can have on the mental health of women.
Key findings include:
- A woman who undergoes an abortion is 6 times more likely to commit suicide than a woman who gives birth
- A woman who undergoes an abortion is 30% more likely to suffer from depression compared to a woman who gives birth.
- A woman who undergoes an abortion is 25% more likely to suffer from anxiety compared to a woman that gives birth
- A woman who has had an abortion is at a higher risk of psychiatric admission compared to a woman who gives birth.
More Funding for Suicide Prevention Among Inuit (Canada)
Natan Obed, president of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, and Patty Hajdu, minister of Indigenous Services, annonced on Parliament Hill in Ottawa that the canadien federal government is pouring $11 million into a national strategy aimed at preventing suicide among Inuit. The National Inuit Suicide Prevention Strategy (created in 2016) estimates suicide rates in Inuit five to 25 times higher than the rate in the rest of Canada. Help lines, counselling websites and association put their strength together to help the ones who “wants to take their life” and “support people through those dark times.” Euthanasia was legalised the same year and is responsible for or 3.3% of Canadian deaths, between 2020 and 2021 its practice increased by 32%.
Survey: Biologists Overwhelmingly Agree that Human Life Begins at Fertilisation (UK)
A survey of 5 577 biologists in 2018 show that 96% of respondents agreed that human life begins at fertilisation. Steve Jacobs who conducted the survey said “the majority of the sample identified as:
- Liberal: 89%
- Pro-choice: 85%
- Non-religious: 63%”
Ex-Transgender Teen Recounts ‘Horrifying’ Experience of Transition Surgery (USA)
Chloe Cole was 15 years old when she agreed to let a “gender-affirming” surgeon remove her healthy breasts. Her “brutal” transition from female to male was anything but the romanticised “gender journey” that was portrayed. “They guilted my parents into allowing them to do this”. They said, “Either, you’ll have a dead daughter or an alive son”. She was convinced she would be happy and feel like a whole person. Now 18, it’s as if a nightmare is ending. Cole is one of a growing number of young “Detransitioners” who reject current trends in transgender ideology and oppose the “gender-affirming” model of care being pushed by progressive lawmakers at state and federal levels.
Dangerous Deception: Not Telling Your Doctor About Abortion Pill Use Increases Health Risk (USA)
A new analysis of 423 000 confirmed abortions debunks the common abortion industry narrative that “there is no medical reason to tell a doctor about an abortion”. The analysis revealed that if a pill-related abortion is miscoded as a natural miscarriage in the emergency department, the woman was twice as likely to be admitted for surgery for retained products of conception compared to those who were correctly coded as a chemical abortion. These women were also found to be 78% more likely to have multiple hospital admissions over 30 days compared to those who were coded as chemical abortions. This highlights that there are significant medical reasons to inform a doctor about an abortion. Over 60 percent of pill-related abortions were miscoded as natural miscarriage in 2015.
Justice Breyer is Wrong: Modern Advances in Ultrasound and Foetal Surgery anything but “slim” (USA)
Medicine and science have advanced majorly since Roe vs Wade in 1973. This includes tremendous advancements in ultrasound, foetal diagnosis, and the ability to do in-utero procedures. Ultrasound in 1973 was unable to clearly define the features of an unborn baby. Modern day ultrasound has made it possible to identify physical features and behaviours of the foetus including yawning, hiccups, thumb sucking and even right or left hand dominance. “Modern developments in our understanding of the humanity of the unborn are anything but ‘slim.’ If you follow the science, it’s clear that unborn children at 15 weeks’ gestation are already amazingly complex human beings”. Justices Breyer, Sotomayor, and Kagan incorrectly described modern developments in our scientific understanding of unborn babies as “slim” in their dissent to the Supreme Court’s decision to reverse Roe v. Wade.