Abortion. Front center and in the balcony.
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Put aside the question of politics and abortion.
Is this true?
“On Sunday, the President and First Lady spoke to Kate Cox, who was forced to go to court to seek permission for the care she needed for a non-viable pregnancy that threatened her life,”
How was her life threatened?
We've talked about this case before.
Is there evidence that delivering a full-term fetus with Trisomy 18 is a risk to maternal life?
https://www.ajog.org/article/S0002-9378(16)31009-2/fulltext
having a T18 fetus did not increase the risk preeclampsia, but was associated with increased risk of GDM (gestational diabetes). T18 was also associated with a greater rate of PTD (preterm delivery) at less than 37 and 32 weeks, intrauterine fetal death, and primary cesarean section (for both nulliparous and multiparous women (Table 1). Furthermore, T18 was associated with greater maternal hospital costs ($8,996vs $7,728).When controlling for age>34, race/ethnicity, education status, insurance, limited prenatal care, cHTN, pre-existing diabetes, and parity, a pregnancy complicated by T18 was associated with 5-fold increased odds of any PTD, and 10-fold odds of delivery at <32 weeks. (Table 2). Odds of CD were also increased, though odds of developing GDM or PET (preeclampsia)_were not increased (Table 2).
Doesn't look like it.
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Factor in Cox's history of having two prior C-sections; that's cited in the court filing as something that increases the risks to her.
https://reproductiverights.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Cox-v.-Texas-original-petition-FINAL.pdf
From page 2:
Because Ms. Cox has had two prior cesarean surgeries (“C-sections”), continuing the pregnancy puts her at high risk for severe complications threatening her life and future fertility, including uterine rupture and hysterectomy. Ms. Cox understands that a dilation and evacuation (“D&E”) abortion is the safest option for her health and her best medical option given that she wants to have more children in the future.
From page 6, paragraph 18:
If the baby’s heartbeat stopped, they could offer her a labor induction, but because of her prior C-sections, induction carries a serious risk of uterine rupture. If the baby survived to term, Ms. Cox could receive an induction or C-section, but it was clear to Ms. Cox that C-section was the safer option for her health because of the risk of uterine rupture with induction given her prior two C-Sections. Yet Ms. Cox’s physicians also explained that a C-section at full term would make subsequent pregnancies higher risk and make it less likely she would be able to carry a third child in the future.
The points of contention is not only about "maternal life," but also about her "future fertility," which picks up additional importance knowing that her then-current pregnancy is expected to lead to a dead fetus/baby due to T18.
I would have loved to read the doctor/ob's opinion, but in this case the doctor/ob is also a plaintiff and I cannot find another "expert report" that's filed for that case.
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Thanks for looking at that.
Couple of points.
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VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Cesarian) has been, IMO, one of the more dangerous practices. The risk of uterine rupture is small, but really not zero. For this reason, last time I looked at it, recommendation was that VBAC be allowed only in centers where the ability to rapidly perform a c-section exists. And by "rapidly" I don't mean "in half an hour." I mean NOW. I'm no OB, but VBACs have always scared me. IMO, Cox should not deliver vaginally, Trisomy 18 or not, unless she's where it can be done safely.
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The comment about C-sections posing a higher risk for subequent pregnancies? I dunno about that. I'll have to disagree with her docs on that one. Previous sections increase the likelihood of the need for future sections, but interfering with pregnancy? I'd like to see the "science" on that one.
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Speaking of future pregnancies, there is science that shows that abortion can (not does) lead to difficulty getting pregnant in the future.
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C-section, as I said, is probably the "safer" option for Cox's health. I wonder, at this point in her pregnancy (is she still pregnant?), is an abortion safer? IOW, what are the risks of abortion in a woman who's had two previous sections? I've seen two perforated uteruses caused by abortion.
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My wife had both of our children by
C section. The first was a rush job. On the second, her OB didn't really give her a choice.Which brings up a question...We only wanted two, so no more sections for her, but if a woman has multiple sections, how many children can she have that way before complications reach a significant level?
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Back to politics a bit...Looks like Biden's main issues to campaign on, are going to be abortion and MAGA is coming to burn your house down and eat your children.
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@Jolly said in Abortion. Front center and in the balcony.:
My wife had both of our children by
C section. The first was a rush job. On the second, her OB didn't really give her a choice.VBAC became popular in the mid 1990s. When we started doing them, whenever a VBAC came in to the OB suite, everyone was called in to "sit around" until she delivered, either vaginally or abdominally. Interestingly, the OB and the anesthesiologist were there, but not the neonatologist. I had one disaster VBAC with no neonatologist around - but that's another story...
Last time I looked, the incidence of major problem (uterine rupture, fetal distress, etc) was about 10% in VBAC. Too high for a small place where the OB can be covering two hospitals at once. We stopped doing them, and sent the patients to a place where staff (including neonatologist) were on site 24/7.
Nothing like getting called in at 2PM on a Sunday afternoon to ... sit around for 9 hours.
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@Jolly said in Abortion. Front center and in the balcony.:
My wife had both of our children by
C section. The first was a rush job. On the second, her OB didn't really give her a choice.Which brings up a question...We only wanted two, so no more sections for her, but if a woman has multiple sections, how many children can she have that way before complications reach a significant level?
We had the same thing happen with our two. I seem to think we were told the max recommended was three.
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Toddler tartar...