A.) Annotated Bibliogaphy:
1.) Arnold, Jill. "New ACOG Opinion on Home Birth Touts Rights, Nixes HBAC and CPMs." Theunnecesarean.com. Unnecesarean, 21 Jan 2011. Web. 29 Mar 2011.
--> This article argues from the perspective of the ACOG on home birth. They argue here that though they believe women should have the right to decide where to give birth, women should know the risks of homebirth. They also emphasize that timely transportation to a hospital will lead to good home birth outcomes.
I think this is a useful source because these are some of the arguments from ACOG who aren't really for home births. Even if a women decides to give birth with midwives, ACOG still wants them to visit hospitals which I find odd. Since I also read 'Birth in the USA' I can't help but question on what evidence ACOG is saying that home birth has an "increased risk of neonatal death," compared to hospital birth.
This resource furthered my opinion that ACOG may be lying about some of their arguments of why hospital birth is better than home birth. This source made me want to look up the actual data ACOG bases their opinion on.
2.)"The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Issues Opinion." ACOG. American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, 20 Jan 2011. Web. 29 Mar 2011.
--> This is the ACOG website, so obviously they are arguing against homebirth. They use the same arguments as used from the first source I chose, but with more advice that seem alarming to me. Here, ACOG lists conditions of women who should not have home births-making midwives seem as though their capabilities during the birth process is limited severly. They also emphasize the use of screening and prenatal care in home births.
I would have been convinced by these opinions if I had not read the book for the birth unit. ACOG's opinions on home births still seem vague and questionable. ACOG also urges prenatal care if women are choosing to do home births. I'm not sure if ACOG's arguments that hospital birth is 'more safe' than home births is reliable enough.
3.)Blue, Laura. "Why Do U.S. Infants Die Too Often?." TIME 13 May 2008: n. pag. Web. 29 Mar 2011.
--> This article seems a bit on the Obsterics side, but admits the problems of hospital care in the U.S. as a statician. Babies in the U.S mortality rate for babies is horrible despite it being a developed country. The main reason is because babies are too small or has a low birth weight. The writer also mentions about medical interventions, inducing labor, and pre-term C-sections.
This is written from the view of a statician, so clearly numbers are showing that medical interventions and C-sections are causing U.S baby mortality rates to keep rising. This shows that OBGYB's interventions are not for the benefit of the mother or child.
4.)Warren, Jaime. "Cytotec: From Ulcers To Inductions." CaesareanBirth.Com (2003): n. pag. Web. 29 Mar 2011.
---> This article talks about the risks of Cytotec, the most cheapest and most commonly used drug for inducing labor in hospitals. These risks are more severe than Pitocin, and causes death or severe damage to the fetus. Doctors in hospitals continue to use Cytotec even though it is only FDA approved for treating ulcers.
5.)"Misoprostol." PubMed health. National Center for Biotechnology Information, 01 Sep 2008. Web. 29 Mar 2011.
--> To confirm the dangers of Cytotec, I looked up the drug itself. (Misoprostol is another word for Cytotec). Clearly, Cytotec has dangers for preganant women, and still is used for inducing labor. It can cause miscarridge, premature labor, and other birth defects.
This supports that something is wrong with hospital birth. OBGYN's are allowed to use a drug that is not recommended for pregnant women. Cytotec puts the baby (and the mother's) life in danger, and it is unnecessary.
B.)So far, from these resources I was able to confirm the dangers of giving birth in hospitals, and the amount of statistics/data that show that hospital birth is not really as safe as ACOG says. I am considering to write an essay for the project, emphasizing the dangers and risks of hospital births in the USA. I feel as if the public does not know enough because of the assumption that hospitals are reliable all the time. Hopefully, the essay can convince people who are for hospital birth that perhaps this dominant practice of going to a hospital is questionable-and only helps doctors to take advantage of this assumption.
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