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	news bulletins april 2001

• Lamaze Urges Expectant Parents to Learn the Reasons for Induction
• Call to Feminist Homeschoolers for Anthology Essays
• Letter Writing Teaches Teens about Political Activism
• MMR Vaccine Linked to Bleeding Disease
• Most Want Tax Break for Stay-at-home Parents
• First Mercury Poisoning Vaccination Case Filed
• Parents Preferred as Sex Educators by Kids
• Saving Seeds: Preserving Biodiversity
• Two Terrific Tomes: Book Reviews from the Mothering Staff
• GE Foods: The Struggle Continues
• Website Helps Single Mothers Find Each Other to Share Housing
• Organic Food: A Label of Its Own

Lamaze Urges Expectant Parents to Learn the Reasons for Induction
About 19 percent of all live births in the United States are induced, double from nine percent over the last decade, as more doctors and health-care providers are encouraging pregnant women to opt for induction rather than allowing labor to start on its own.

Induction is the artificial initiation of labor, often by using a drug called Pitocin. Lamaze International has issued a new recommendation urging expectant parents to understand their options before choosing induction. They suggest that expectant parents refuse induction unless there is a true, medical indication for the procedure. "Allowing your body to go into labor spontaneously almost always is the best indication that your baby is ready to be born," stated Debby Amis, Lamaze International Education Council chair.

According to the book Planning Your Pregnancy and Birth, published by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the following may be medical indications for induction:

• the bag of water breaks and labor does not begin;
• your pregnancy has reached 42 weeks;
• your blood pressure is high;
• you have other health problems that can harm your baby such as diabetes; or lung disease; or
• you have an infection of the uterus.

"As a childbirth educator, I continually hear expectant parents say their doctor has encouraged them to induce labor because the baby will be too big, or it is a matter of convenience," Amis explains. "These are not evidence-based reasons to induce labor, in fact induction also has serious disadvantages associated with it."

There is growing evidence that elective induction that is done for convenience rather than medical reasons is not a risk-free procedure. Amis cites a study conducted by Dr. Michael Kramer, McGill University, that examined 4.5 million births in the United States and Canada during the 1990s. The researchers concluded that babies born only a few weeks early at 34 to 36 weeks were three times as likely to die in their first year of life. "Physicians may induce labor based on a predicted due date that is not exact," Amis states. "If the date is only two weeks off, serious consequences may arise."

In a study conducted at the Southwestern Medical School in Dallas, researchers examined the outcomes of more than 56,000 pregnancies at 40, 41 and 42 weeks. Results indicated more evidence against induction. Deliveries at 41 weeks had a higher chance of labor complications and operative delivery without significantly improving neonatal outcomes. Researchers concluded that interventions at 41 weeks gestation are unwarranted.

Induction also leads to increased medical interventions including a required IV and continuous electronic fetal heart rate monitoring. Laboring mothers may also be required to stay in bed, or in close proximity to bed eliminating their ability to change positions or walk freely, two proven methods of helping labor progress.

"Laboring and giving birth without unnecessary medical intervention increases the likelihood that you will have positive lifelong memories of your birth experience and decreases the possibilities of complications to both you and your baby," Amis explains.

A full copy of the Recommendations from Lamaze International on Induction can be found at: www.lamaze.org.

Lamaze International Inc., is an international organization of nearly 3,000 professionals, parents and providers dedicated to promoting normal, natural, healthy and fulfilling childbearing experiences for women and their families through education, advocacy and reform. For more information about Lamaze International and induction, visit www.lamaze.org/2000/Pdf/Position_Paper-_Induction.pdf.

Call to Feminist Homeschoolers for Anthology Essays
Editors for a new anthology, Revolution at Home, are looking for essay submissions by feminist homeschoolers. Particularly of interest are how feminist identity can influence homeschooling decisions, and the contradictions faced by those of us who were raised with the assumption that we would work outside the home.

The editors are Jeanne Higgs and Laura Fokkena, who are both feminist homeschooling moms. Jeanne has a degree in Women's Studies and lives in Ithaca, New York, with her two daughters. Laura has degrees in anthropology and international development. She and her daughter live in Boston. They are not interested in essays that debate of the merits of feminism, but rather reflective pieces that examine how women reconcile their identity as feminists with their role as homeschooling parents. They would like essays written by women who identify as feminists, but who recognize that just as there is no one unified voice, style or ideology among homeschoolers, there is also no one way to be a feminist.

Each contributor should submit a short bio including general homeschooling methods, family info/makeup, previous publication credits if applicable, and a brief blurb on what feminism means to you. Submissions should generally be between 2,000-3,000 words, although well-written essays of any length will be considered. Submissions via email are preferred to revolutionathome@hotmail.com. Please be sure to include a full name, email, and a snail mail address with your submission, which should be attached in Rich Text Format as well as copied into the body of the email.

For more information on the anthology, submitting, and on preferred themes, email revolutionathome@hotmail.com.

Letter Writing Teaches Teens about Political Activism
Putting pen to paper to make a political impression can reach far beyond just "dimpling a chad." That is what hundreds of thousands of seventh- and eighth-graders nationwide have learned through writing letters their U.S. representatives under the auspices of the RespecTeen Speak for Yourself curriculum. One district winner is chosen from the letter writers of each participating congressional district, and from those district winners, one student is selected to represent his or her state at the RespecTeen National Youth Forum in Washington, D.C., from April 28 to May 3.

The program is sponsored by Lutheran Brotherhood, a financial services organization based in Minneapolis. "The RespecTeen Speak for Yourself program is an excellent way for young people to learn about the impact they can have on public policy-making," said Ellen Albee, manager of Lutheran Brotherhood's national programs and RespecTeen program director.

Distributed to middle school teachers each fall, the RespecTeen curriculum aims to teach young people about the political process and the influence they can have in developing and restructuring public policy. As part of the curriculum, students are encouraged to research a topic of national interest and write letters to their U.S. representatives. The letters are sent to Lutheran Brotherhood and judged by a panel of educators based on quality and clarity of thought, argument, supporting data, expression, sincerity, and originality.

While in D.C., the 51 winning students will visit one-on-one with their members of Congress to discuss the issues they wrote about in their letters. Since 1989, more than 131,500 students have written letters to their congressional representatives and more than 650 students have attended the national forum.

For more information, visit www.RespecTeen.org.

MMR Vaccine Linked to Bleeding Disease
Around one in 22,000 children who receive the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine (MMR) may need hospital treatment for idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), a study in the journal Archives of Disease in Childhood found.

While experts stressed the likelihood of developing ITP after the MMR vaccine was rare, the research has added to the debate over the vaccine's safety, which has been linked to autism and bowel disease.

ITP is a disorder where bleeding occurs under the skin, caused by a shortage of platelets. In extreme cases, the spleen may have to be removed or a blood transfusion given, although most people suffer from an uncomfortable but mild form and can be easily treated with drugs. Most cases come from viral infections. But two out of every three cases among young children are probably attributable to the vaccine.

English researchers studied hospital admissions for ITP among children who had been given the MMR vaccine in several health regions between 1991 and 1994.

There were 28 admissions of 21 children under two suffering from ITP who had been given the MMR shot. Nine of the 21 were admitted within six weeks of receiving it. Combining this data with earlier studies, the researchers calculated that children under two had a one in 22,300 chance of needing hospital treatment for ITP within six weeks of the MMR vaccine.

Author Dr. Elizabeth Miller, head of the immunization division of England's Public Health laboratory Service, noted that "the condition, though unpleasant, is rarely dangerous and indeed those cildren who develop ITP after vaccination tend to have milder symptoms than those developing it after viral infection."

Source: Alternative Medicine Newsletter, February 22, 2001, www.healthmall.com.

Most Want Tax Break for Stay-at-home Parents
Americanbaby.com has released the results of a survey showoing that 88% of parents believe the government needs to give a tax break to parents who choose to stay home with their kids.

Although several states, including New Jersey, Vermont, Arizona and Massachusetts, are considering a paid leave bill, the only legislation currently available is the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), which provides for 12 weeks of unpaid leave for those with companies of more than 50 employees. However, this doesn't affect 40 million women, nearly 42% of women in the workforce.

A report to the US Congress in 1996 on family and medical leave policies found that 100 percent of the women eligible for leave who did not take it because they could not afford to. A tax break will make staying home a more affordable option for parents who want to put their children ahead of careers.

Other americanbaby.com survey results include:

• 63 percent believe that the federal government should legally mandate employer paid maternity leave
• 81 percent of those surveyed who did not or do not plan to take maternity leave chose not to because their employer does not offer paid leave or because their family cannot afford the salary loss
• 3 out of 4 parents surveyed are not satisfied with their employer's maternity leave policy
• 44 percent believe that taking maternity leave affected or will affect their career progression in some way
• 43 percent did not receive any paid assistance during their maternity leave

For more information, visit americanbaby.com.

First Mercury Poisoning Vaccination Case Filed
The law firm of Waters & Kraus, LLP, based in Dallas, Texas, announced today that it has filed the first known civil case alleging that the mercury-based preservative thimerosal, used recently in more that 30 childhood vaccines, has caused mercury poisoning in many children. The case is Counter, et al v. Abbott laboratories, et al (Cause No. GN 100866, 200th District Court--Travis County Texas).

The symptoms of mercury poisoning are, in many cases, similar to the symptoms of autism and many children suffering from mercury poisoning have been previously diagnosed with autism. However, the suit does not allege that all persons suffering from autism do so as a result of mercury poisoning.

Thimerosal is a mercury-based additive. Mercury has been known to be hazardous for hundreds of years. Yet children have been exposed to cumulative levels of mercury from vaccines that exceed threshold safety levels that have been established by the US Environmental Protection Agency. In many cases, children carry unmistakable symptoms of mercury poisoning after receiving vaccines tainted by thimerosal. In many instances, children exhibited normal neurological patterms until the cumulative mercury dose caused irreparable damage to both neurological and general developmental processes.

For more information, contact Melissa Miles at Waters & Kraus, 214-357-6244, or miles@awpk.com. Potential claimants should call Claire Bothwell at Waters & Kraus, 562-436-8833, or bothwell@awpk.com.

Parents Preferred as Sex Educators by Kids
Although children indicate that they prefer to learn about sex from their parents, most parents have left this job up to child peers and the media.

Recent statistics show that just half of adolescents feel they had one "good talk" about sexuality during the past year with their mothers--and only one third with their fathers. Another recent survey shows that 72 percent of mothers claimed they had talked with their teens about sex, but only 45 percent of the teens felt their mothers had done so.

Many of today's parents have little information with which to develop a "good talk" about sexuality. Most did not have sexuality education programs in their childhood schools, and most did not discuss sexuality at home. In addition, many parents aren't sure when to begin. Nearly half of parents of 10 to 12 year olds have not discussed peer pressure and sex with their children. A similar percentage have not even considered when it is appropriate for their children to become involved in sexual activity.

For information on how and when to initiate sexuality education with a child, contact the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States at www.siecus.org, or 212-819-9770.

Source: Families Are Talking, a SIECUS special supplement newsletter.

Saving Seeds: Preserving Biodiversity
Chocolate-colored peppers? Apple-green eggplants? Sound like fiction? They're not. Just ask Seed Savers Exchange (SSE), a nonprofit that has collected thousands of heirloom seeds--family seeds passed down from one generation to the next--from all over the world. SSE's mission is to save the diversity of the agricultural gene pool, currently threatened by mass-marketed seeds and genetically engineered foods. To this end, SSE has collected 18,000 rare vegetable seeds, which they plant on a ten-year rotation at the organization's Heritage Farms.

What's the threat? Seeds have a limited shelf life; they are only viable for a certain number of years. If a farmer or gardener starts using mass-marketed seeds, the abandoned heirlooms are likely to become extinct--the gene pool and our diets are thus depleted. By periodically planting some of what SSE has stored, it ensures that rare species survive. Genetically engineered foods pose a different problem: contamination. Pollen from genetically altered crops can spread to heirloom crops, threatening their biological integrity. By storing heirloom seeds, SSE protects them from genetic corruption.

In the SSE catalog you'll find heirlooms like Grandpa Admire's lettuce, the Mrs. R. O. Backhouse daffodil, and Ralph Dutcher's white kidney bean. Thousands more are available to Seed Savers Exchange members through their annual yearbook, a vast compilation of member's seed collections. More than 8,000 people take part.

Another organization working to protect the gene pool is United Plant Savers. Focusing on medicinal plants, the nonprofit educates the public about which plants are at risk for extinction, while cultivating and storing a variety of seeds at its 370-acre botanical sanctuary. The group also gives small grants to other replanting projects.

For more information, contact Seed Savers Exchange at 3076 North Winn Road, Decorah, IA 52101; 319-382-5990; www.seedsavers.org and United Plant Savers, PO Box 98, East Barre, VT 05649; 802-496-9988; www.plantsavers.org.

Two Terrific Tomes
Book Reviews from the Mothering Staff

Rediscovering Birth by Sheila Kitzinger
Sheila Kitzinger has outdone herself with her latest book, Rediscovering Birth. After authoring more than a dozen books on childbirth and sexuality, this gem provides a wealth of new knowledge, accentuated with lush illustrations and culturally diverse photos.

Among the highlights of this treasure are chapter three, "Birth and Spirit," and chapter six, "The Birth Dance." The former is full of folklore and legends from ancient China to Greece, artfully illustrated with intriguing ancient symbols for birth and fertility. The latter features line drawings and photographs of birth positions used by Blackfoot Sioux Indians and South Americans. Especially interesting are pictures of a New Guinea woman birthing on a soft bed of grass.

A visual feast and a pleasure to read, this thought-provoking book will surely open many minds to the world of natural birth. (Pocket Books, 2000)

Kids: How Biology and Culture Shape the Way We Raise Our Children by Meredith Small
Cornell University anthropologist Meredith Small's newest work, Kids: How Biology and Culture Shape the Way We Raise Our Children examines the often unexamined beliefs, as well as the physiological imperatives, that influence child development and parenting practices. Her earlier book, Our Babies, Ourselves, focused on how different cultures parent their children during the first year of life. Kids is meant as a sequel, addressing children's continued growth.

As she explores everything from language acquisition to morality, Small questions current thinking. She asserts that what many "experts" tell us about parenting and child development usually is based on cultural attitudes, tradition, and folklore--not science. "To caretakers, advice in books or from the pediatrician sounds like the voice of authority," Small states, "but, in fact, nonmedical advice is simply what that particular authority believes to be true. And that 'authority' is just as much molded by his or her culture as anyone."

Small is a parent herself and began her research when she started to question current childrearing practices. With this remarkable book, she is essentially inviting other parents to do the same. (Doubleday, 2001)

GE Foods: The Struggle Continues
By Ronnie Cummins
A battle has been won for organic standards, but the war still rages on against genetically engineered products.

On January 18, 2001, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued its long-awaited proposed federal regulations on genetically engineered foods and crops. As anticipated, the FDA refused to call for mandatory labeling or mandatory safety-testing--despite numerous polls showing 80 to 95 percent of Americans want labeling and safety-testing or, better yet, no genetically engineered foods at all.

Meanwhile, as the fight for regulations continues, the genetic engineering industry endures the effects of the September 2000 StarLink corn scandal. The illegal genetically altered corn, StarLink, was found in Taco Bell brand taco shells and over 300 other brand-name products. Developed by the biotech giant Aventis, the corn was approved for animal feed, but not for human consumption because of questions about its potential to cause allergies. Aventis failed to inform farmers of the restrictions related to StarLink and, as a result, some StarLink was mixed with other types of corn.

An internal industry study, conducted for Kellogg, ConAgra, Unilever, and Aventis, publicized in the January 9, 2001 Toronto Star, flatly predicted up to "billion" of dollars in food industry losses in the aftermath of the scandal. Dr. Ann Clark, a plant researcher at the University of Guelph in Canada said StarLink could prove to be "the beginning of the end" for genetically engineered crops. "The food companies are not going to bite the bullet on this one for the industry," Clark said.

On November 28, 2000, the Environmental Protection Agency heard from a Scientific Advisory Panel that StarLink may be already setting off food allergies. For the full testimony of Dr. Michael Hansen from the Consumers Union on StarLink and Bt corn allergenicity, see www.purefood.org/ge/hansenstarlink.cfm.

Ronnie Cummins is the national director of the Organic Consumers Association, at www.organicconsumers.org.

Website Helps Single Mothers Find Each Other to Share Housing
Co-abode.com is a new web site that provides a matchmaking service for single mothers who want to connect with other single mothers to share housing. It brings these moms together to explore the opportunities of pooling resources through sharing a house. Two can afford better accommodations than one, and the pooling of expenses for rent, utilities, and food creates a better living environment for everyone, not to mention lessening the burden of cleaning, cooking, and babysitting.

The organization was started by Carmel Boss, a painter and a qualified Resources for Infant Educarers (RIE) teacher. "The idea for Co-abode.com came out of my own experience of feeling alone," says Carmel. "After my divorce I started talking to other single moms and found they were dealing with the same issues I was. It struck me that there should be some reliable resource to help single mothers connect with each other. For single moms in particular, connecting with someone in the same situation can make a huge improvement in their day-to-day lives."

Co-abode.com employs detailed profiles to help members find compatible housemates. The service uses multiple criteria to partner suitable matches, from age, location, and number of children, to the simple practicality of who's got a washer/dryer versus a refrigerator. Besides the matchmaking service, the organization also provides chat rooms, resource for single mothers, and services such as assistance with leasing and legal advice.

For more information, visit www.co-abode.com

Organic Food: A Label of Its Own
By Debbie Ortman
It's been a long, long fight, but the United States finally has national organic food standards. The new regulations, which went into effect February 19, 2001, are more palatable than the last, but there are still serious flaws.

A little history: In 1990, the US Congress passed the Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA). As required under that act, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) was required to develop national organic standards. Ten years later the USDA's National Organic Program (NOP) finally developed new federal regulations, as published in the federal register in December 2000.

These new standards are significantly better than the first set proposed in 1998, which allowed irradiated foods, genetically modified organisms, antibiotics, and organic food to be grown in sewer sludge. After much angry protest, the final regulations exclude all of these. However, there are still major shortfalls, including the following: the additional cost of certification to organic farmers (who will then pass these costs onto consumers); the lack of substantial funding to support organic farming and research (the USDA gives $30 billion to conventional agribusiness but only $10 million to organic farming), and a long list of allowable additives (including synthetics) to processed organic foods.

The good news is that the NOP will help insure organically produced products meet a consistent standard. Consumers will be able to recognize organic products by the mark "USDA Organic," similar to the "USDA Prime" identification on beef or the grade labels on egg cartons. Foods will be labeled "100 percent organic," "organic," or "made with organic ingredients." However, read the ingredients list: While "100 percent organic" will indicate a product is totally organic, "organic" and "made with organic ingredients" will indicate a 95 and 70 percent, respectively, organic content. The remaining five to 30 percent can include synthetic additives.

Can states have organic standards that exceed the national standard? Yes. Some states may have unique environmental or other concerns that they believe require conditions that are above the national standard. In these cases, states would apply to USDA for approval of their special state program.

However, no state would be allowed to set up a program that does not at least meet the national standard. And states would not be allowed to use their programs to keep out or otherwise discriminate against organic products made in another state.

Though the new standards went into effect in February, they won't be fully effective until 2002.

For more information, visit the USDA National Organic Program website at www.ams.usda.gov/nop/