'I didn't abduct my child. I just want my daughter to be brought up in Ireland'

THE American dream has turned sour for one young mother as she spends the festive period in a legal limbo, unable to take her child home to Ireland.

Ciara (not her real name) was branded a child abductor after she failed to bring her three-year-old daughter Lauren back to the martial home on the west coast of the United States after a visit to her family in Ireland. It was during this trip that her husband telephoned her to say their marriage was over and he was filing for divorce.

Ciara decided there was nothing left for her in the States and she and Lauren would stay permanently in Ireland.

However, her husband issued proceedings under the Hague Convention demanding that the girl be brought back to the US.

By Breda Heffernan ©Independent.ie

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HSE was warned a year ago Coombe posed 'serious risk'

The Health Service Executive (HSE) was warned a year ago that the Coombe Women's Hospital building is "rapidly deteriorating" and poses serious risks in areas like infection control.

But nine months later, in September, it was again pleading with the HSE to provide €3.2m in capital funding -- otherwise it could not take responsibility for the risks involved.

Coombe Women's Hospital Master Chris Fitzpatrick wrote to former head of the National Hospital's Office Ann Doherty in January saying the hospital "urgently needed secure realistic continuous investment".

In May, he said the staffing ratios were "exposing our patients to adverse perinatal outcomes" -- referring to the time at or around birth.

By Eilish O'Regan ©Independent.ie

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My nightmare at two hospitals that were unhygienic and overcrowded

The staff were under so much pressure they couldn't spend time showing me how to breastfeed

WHEN I was first pregnant with my son Mitchell seven years ago I thought it sensible to go semi-private in a busy Dublin maternity hospital. In the end, it made no difference.

The delivery suites were full while I laboured and I had to wait in line until one became available. Likewise, the private and semi-private rooms were full, so I was put into a public ward.

The staff tried their best but were under so much pressure they could not spend time showing me how to breastfeed. The lowest point came a few hours after giving birth; as I hobbled towards the toilet, the lady in the bed next to me said she would "watch my things".

By Siobhan O'Neill White ©Independent.ie

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The most popular baby names of 2009

Jack – the moniker of Messrs Nicholson and Straw – retained its title for the 15th year running.

Olivia secured a second successive stint as the girls' favourite having taken over from Grace in 2008.

The highest climbers this year were Lucas, which raced 24 places up the charts to make number 15, and Maisie, which moved up 29 places to 41st.

Layla also scored well, up 21 places to number 46 while Lexi leapt 18 spots up to number 43.

© Copyright of Telegraph Media Group Limited 2009

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The birth of a baby crisis

SADLY, people who avail of hospital services these days routinely expect to be put on a waiting list for some sort. It's a symptom of the times. However, patients who are already stressed by the impact of economic recession should at least be able to feel safe and secure in a hospital.

One group of patients remains resolutely indifferent to cutbacks and the under-resourcing of services.

They ignore calls to put up with delays and wait their turn. Babies are stubborn creatures who demand attention on their own terms, not according to a roster and budget set down by the Health Service Authority.

Yet it appears women no longer have the comfort of security when they go in to have their babies.

Instead, as we report today, mothers and babies enter a bewildering and troubling environment, with pregnant women queuing to get into overcrowded labour wards.

By their nature, maternity hospitals find it nigh impossible to comply with instructions to reduce services and cut back on staff, especially in the middle of a baby boom.

Correspondence revealed today shows that doctors and managers in Dublin's maternity hospitals have been pleading with the HSE to introduce safety improvements immediately, and not to wait for moves which are planned for years from now.

©Independent.ie

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List Of Drinks Pregnant Women Should Avoid

Champagne and eggnog are holiday favorites, but if you're pregnant, those two drinks are on the top of the list of drinks you should avoid.

Homemade eggnog tops the list because it contains raw eggs, which carry the risk of getting you and your baby sick with salmonella.

That eggnog is especially bad if your party host decides to mix it with alcohol.

Store-bought eggnog is fine as it is pasteurized and poses little risk.

Nonalcoholic champagne is drinkable, but it is not known for sure how much even the smallest amount of alcohol can affect a pregnancy, so steer clear of it entirely.
By PJ O'Keeffe © 2009

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Precautions Allow for Smooth Travel While Pregnant

Traveling during the holidays can be difficult, even more so when you're pregnant. Hauling luggage, navigating crowded airports and sitting for hours in cramped seats can make you wish you stayed home.

But you don't want to miss the eggnog at Grandma's annual gathering, right?

To avoid problems, pregnant women should take a few precautions, Dr. Charles Hux, an obstetrician and maternal fetal medicine expert, advised.

"Most women can safely travel during pregnancy," said Hux, who also appears on cable channel TLC's "A Baby Story." "With a little extra planning and precaution, you should not encounter any problems."

©2009 Bloomberg

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Many Women Quit Breast-Feeding Early

Though a growing percentage of American moms start their infants on human milk, relatively few continue breast-feeding for the baby's first six months of life, let alone an entire year.

Why not stick it out longer? Numerous obstacles can prove difficult for new moms, but California researchers say they found that returning to work soon after giving birth presents a major barrier to successful breast-feeding.

"What we saw is if women take very short maternity leaves, of six weeks or less, they run more than a three times higher risk of quitting breast-feeding compared to those still at home who haven't returned to work," said Sylvia Guendelman, a professor who chairs the maternal and child health program at the University of California, Berkeley, School of Public Health.

Their study, published earlier this year in Pediatrics, was part of a larger analysis called "Juggling Work and Life During Pregnancy," funded by the U.S. government's Maternal and Child Health Bureau.

By Karen Pallarito © 2009 Microsoft

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Bisphenol-A In Plastic Packaging & Products Is Highly Dangerous

Many clinical studies have concluded that exposure to large amounts of Bisphenol A can be fatal, and now the US Senate has started discussing legislature relating to a proposed ban on it's use in products for kids under the age of three, like toys and baby's bottles. It seems like a storm is brewing for this particular organic compound, and now people are finally beginning to take real note of it's alleged side effects. It has been blamed on heightening the risk of various cancers (breast and prostate heavily), and on encouraging the onset of diabetes and heart disease, but it will be a hard element of the consumer world to replace. That's because it is used in a lot of the packaging and plastic products which we use, but it is never included on any lists of ingredients.

WHAT DO WE USE BISPHENOL A FOR?
Extracted from specially grown plants, Bisphenol A (BPA) is an organic compound, but it is often referred to as an industrial chemical, or as a synthetic sex hormone. There are approximately 2-3 million tonnes of it produced each year for use in our plastic products, and it has been widely used from the early part of the 20th century, because it has the ability to make plastic clear and strong. Common polycarbonate products with BPA as an integral ingredient include plastic containers, carrier bags, baby's bottles, eye glasses and cd's/dvd's. It is also used in epoxy resins, which often form a protective lining on the inside of metal food and beverage cans, but this widespread usage has only been seriously questioned since 2008, when many governments began to publicly question it's alleged side-effects, although there had been some questions circulating about it's safety since the 1930's.

Copyright © 2008-2009

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How to be a Super Dad

Sleepless nights and crèche runs used to be the lot of the working mother, but now working fathers are feeling the strain too.

This comes as no surprise to parenting coach Sheila O'Malley, who has seen an increase in the number of men attending her courses in recent years. "Much more is expected of the Irish father these days," says Sheila.

"Now both parents are working, no one is in a supporting role. Men are juggling a lot more than they were a decade ago." Now up to 50pc of her courses are attended by men, with many of them coming on their own. "They are forging their own relationships with their children and this is very enriching for them, but they are under pressure and they need to learn how to multi-task."

A new report, published in the UK by the Equality and Human Rights Commission, has revealed the extent of these pressures. According to The Fathers, Family and Work report, some 54pc of fathers with children under one felt they were not devoting enough time to them, while 42pc felt they were not able to spend enough time with their children. Some 62pc thought that, in general, fathers should spend more time caring for their children, yet six out of 10 were working more than 40 hours a week.

By Nikki Walsh ©Independent.ie

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A pregnancy survival guide. . . for men

I'm sitting down with my wife to watch a DVD. She's pregnant with our second child, and I'm wary. Why? The DVD is called Being Dad, and it promises "real-life pregnancy and birthing advice that men can relate to, and will want to watch". Uh-oh.

Being Dad is the creation of first-time father, Troy Jones. A reality-style documentary, it follows the filmmaker as he makes sense of his partner's first pregnancy, interviewing several experts and talking to 40 real-life fathers in an effort to find out "what I can expect, now that Stacey is expecting". The film rides the full, nine-month rollercoaster, and ends with the birth of Troy and Stacey's baby.

Popping the disc from its jacket, the first thing I notice is that Being Dad is marketed at women. "(It) will make him the perfect pregnancy and birth partner," the cover proclaims.

By Pol O Conghaile ©Independent.ie

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Pregnant women able to better distinguish emotions in others

Pregnant women may be better at reading the emotions on people’s faces, especially late in the pregnancy.

While hormonal changes and mood swings often occur during pregnancy, new research reveals that women may also have the ability to better read the emotions on others faces while pregnant.

Researchers at the University of Bristol in the U.K. asked 76 women in the early stages of pregnancy to identify the emotion on 60 computer-generated faces. The process was repeated later in the pregnancy, around week 34.

Researchers conducting the study, published in the journal Hormones and Behavior found that during both the early and late stages of pregnancy, women were equally able to identify faces showing happiness and surprise. Yet women were more sensitive to and accurate at gauging emotions like fear, anger and disgust later in pregnancy.

By Shawn Douglas Copyright © 2006-2009

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Schoolboy Ryan McLaughlin wins vitamin D campaign

Pregnant women are to be educated about the importance of taking vitamin D supplements thanks to a campaign by a 14-year-old Glasgow schoolboy.

Ryan McLaughlin, whose mother Kirsten has multiple sclerosis, took his case to the Scottish Parliament's petitions committee earlier this year.

He believes taking vitamin D can help prevent the condition.

In a written response, the Scottish government said it would put in place an action plan to increase awareness.

It said recent research had found there was an "urgent need" to provide information to all health professionals who work with pregnant women and young children about current guidance on vitamin D.

© MMIX

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Green light for new €160m hospital plan

A NEW €160m maternity and children's hospital in Sandyford has been given the green light by Dun Laoghaire/Rathdown County Council.

The plan from Landmark Developments will see the extensive facility sited on the Beacon Medical Campus on Blackthorn Road in Dublin 18.

The original plan for the hospital was refused by An Bord Pleanala in November last year because of insufficient drainage and water facilities in the area.

However, a fresh planning application was lodged earlier this year. Among the supporters of the scheme was the Sandyford Business Estate Association (SBEA) which wrote to the council expressing its backing.

By Cormac Murphy © Herald.ie 2008

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Southwest Airlines plane diverted as baby born mid-flight

A COMMERCIAL jet was forced to divert after a passenger gave birth to a boy mid-flight.

The Southwest Airlines plane was heading to Salt Lake City and flying at 30,000 feet when the passenger went into labour.

The plane was immediately diverted to Denver and two doctors travelling on the plane came to the passenger’s aid.

But the child couldn’t wait and the doctors helped deliver the baby after moving the woman to the rear galley just before the jet touched down.

Copyright 2009 News Limited

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Swine flu vaccine side effects: Miscarriages and more

Swine flu vaccine alert: Many pregnant mothers are reporting miscarriages shortly after taking the swine flu vaccine. Various websites and blogs are receiving disturbing reports of miscarriage and other dangerous side effects which occurred within hours to days after individuals received the vaccine. Yet these reports are receiving little to no press coverage.

Here a a few of the many examples of miscarriages from comments posted after a short article on about.com: Sue says: "I had the H1N1 vaccination and 24 hours later had a miscarriage." Linda Hill says: "My daughter in law was 10 weeks pregnant and had the H1N1 vaccine on Friday. That night she miscarried." EBWashington: "I was so excited to be pregnant after trying for a year. Last Monday, I got the H1N1 vaccine. On Tuesday morning, I started cramping and on Wednesday I started bleeding heavily. I was almost 6 weeks along. I am an emotional wreck."

By Fred Burks Copyright © 2009 Clarity Digital Group

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Magazine names local consultant as Obstetrician of the Year

A consultant at St. Luke’s General Hospital for Carlow/Kilkenny has been named “Obstetrician of the Year” at the second annual Maternity & Infant magazine Awards (supported by Hibernian Aviva Health).

Trevor Hayes was presented with the award at a ceremony in the Dublin’s Shelbourne Hotel earlier this month, hosted by RTE’s Sharon Ní Bheoláin.

Maternity & Infant magazine is published bi-monthly. It carries articles on health, behaviour, development, nutrition and general parenting issues – in addition to advice from respected Irish and international experts, top reader tips and the latest maternity and children’s fashion.

The awards are described as celebrating the very best in products and services, as voted on-line by parents/readers of the magazine nationwide. The highlight of the event was the People Awards which acknowledge the passion and commitment of people in their professional contribution to parents and children across Ireland. Mr Hayes was one of four members of the medical profession cited as demonstrating excellence in their profession (there were also awards for Nurse, Midwife and Paediatrician of the Year).

© 2009 Galway Advertiser

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GPs should offer vaccine to all women of childbearing age

GPs should offer the swine flu vaccine to all women of childbearing age, chair of the ICGP Education Committee, Dr Mary Favier, has said.

“The advice is when a woman comes in for a pill prescription you should offer her the swine flu vaccine. It should be offered to all women of childbearing age because if they became pregnant they would then be in a high-risk group,” she said.

She told the conference the prevalence of pandemic H1N1 had decreased over the last three weeks but to expect another peak in February. “That is the pattern in other countries in the southern hemisphere during their winter,” she said.

She said GPs should also expect a peak in meningococcal disease in the coming weeks.

By Niamh Mullen © Medical Publications Ireland Ltd 2007

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Swine flu update: Maternity hospitals to restrict visiting times

Maternity Hospitals in Dublin will restrict visiting from Friday to minimise the spread of influenza A H1N1.

The measures will come into force from 8am at the Coombe Women and Infants University Hospital, the Rotunda Hospital and the National Maternity Hospital.

Master of CWIUH Dr Chris Fitzpatrick said it was a temporary measure that would be reviewed on a daily basis. “All of the hospitals have seen cases of swine flu coming through. This is a temporary but appropriate measure. The complications experienced by pregnant women who contract the virus are four-fold,” he said.

Visiting will be restricted to the partner, or one nominated visitor for expectant and new mothers, as well as gynaecology inpatients. Only parents and guardians of infants will be allowed in the paediatric (baby) unit. Only one person should accompany adults attending the Outpatient Department.

By Lisa Mullins © Medical Publications Ireland Ltd 2007

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Study Links Soda Intake to Higher Risk of Diabetes for Pregnant Women

A new study has discovered the first link between sugary soda drinks and the risk of diabetes.

According to a study found in Diabetes Care, women who drink more than five ounces of sugar-sweetened cola a week before becoming pregnant significantly increase their risk of developing the disease during a pregnancy.

The study found that women who consumed five soda servings a week were likely to develop gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), or a glucose intolerance that begins during pregnancy.

"Compared with women who consumed less than 1 serving per month, those who consumed more than 5 servings per week of sugar-sweetened cola had a 22% greater GDM risk," noted lead author Dr. Liwei Chen.

By Donna Parker © 2009 Better Health Research

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Glue injections saving sick babies' lives

Glue is being used at London's Great Ormond Street Hospital to save the lives of youngsters suffering from a rare condition which usually kills babies within days.

Children with Vein of Galen malformation have abnormal communication between the arteries and veins in their brain.

This puts stress on their heart and they usually die within three or four days as a result of heart failure or hydrocephalus (water on the brain).

But a treatment which involves a tissue adhesive called Histoacryl - similar to Super Glue - being injected through a catheter in the baby's groin is proving increasingly successful at saving lives by blocking the affected area of the brain.

Copyright © 2009 The Press Association.

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Trying to conceive? Try yoga

Trying to conceive can be an exciting, emotional and stressful process. A holistic approach, such as the one yoga uses, can be very beneficial. Practicing simple yoga asanas (physical postures) can boost your chances of getting pregnant, while improving your overall health.
Yoga is known to boost hormones and stimulate the reproductive organs. It is also very effective in combating stress, which is scientifically proven to inhibit fertility. For us women, it also disrupts the menstrual cycle and delays ovulation. For men, stress has a telling negative impact on the sperm count. Yoga helps relieve stress and relax the body. A restorative yoga class, where the body, mind, and spirit learn the art of relaxation will benefit both partners to further aid fertility and conception.
In the case of women undergoing fertility treatment, yoga also makes it easier for the body to bear the effects of the drugs and makes the body more receptive towards the treatment.
The following is a guide to home practice and is suitable for both partners. This posture stimulates abdominal organs like the ovaries and prostate gland.
By Lee Kennedy Copyright © 2009 The Mayo News.

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Chemical Controversy: Baby Bottle Ban Call

Campaigners are calling for baby bottles containing a controversial chemical to be banned.

The National Childbirth Trust says there is "compelling" evidence linking Bisphenol A (often abbreviated to BPA) to breast cancer and other conditions.

The chemical is widely used in plastics and is commonly found in food and drink containers.

Some experts believe young children may be particularly vulnerable.

By Rob Cole Copyright ©2009 BskyB

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